Mason Holgate, with a contender for the worst foul of the season, is set to be fined by his team after he helped condemn Sheffield United to 80-plus minutes with ten men and a defeat that edged his loan club a step closer to a likely relegation.
The defender, who is on loan from Everton, also apologised to his team-mates in the dressing room after a third consecutive home defeat in which Chris Wilder’s team has conceded five goals.
Wilder conceded his feelings were somewhere between anger and a degree of understanding towards the 27-year-old, although he indicated he would use “manager’s discretion” to fine him.
“A little bit of both, somewhere in between,” Wilder said. “It’s a competitive sport, not a non-contact sport but there has to be a balance.
“I’m a competitor, I understand that. But it was a very, very strong challenge and the game has moved on. Some people expect physical contact, even excessive contact, whatever you call it. But winning the ball in that way is deemed not acceptable so we have no excuses, nowhere to hide.”
There was certainly nowhere to hide for Wilder’s ten men for the reminder of the game as they conceded five goals at home against Brighton & Hove Albion for the second time this season.
In fact, Brighton’s trips to Bramall Lane, in FA Cup and Premier League, over the past three weeks have not only brought them ten goals in three hours of football, but Sunday also marked the first time they have scored five in a top-flight away game.
First-half goals from Facundo Buonanotte and Danny Welbeck were followed by a second-half Jack Robinson own goal, plus two Simon Adingra efforts, securing three comfortable points and a biggest win of the season for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
But the game will be remembered for the lunge by Holgate on Kaoru Mitoma after 12 minutes that may yet prompt the FA to take action and add to the automatic three-match suspension that straight red cards carry.
The United defender launched himself at Mitoma, missing the ball completely, and cutting across the midfielder’s body, eventually making contact high on his left thigh.
The response from Brighton players told its story although the referee, Stuart Attwell, inexplicably only issued yellow before being urged to consult his pitchside monitor — a move that was only going to produce one outcome.
Holgate may have curried favour with his parent club Everton for his role in a result that stifled the momentum his new side gained in last week’s impressive away win against Luton Town, but it continued his own wretched season.
He has twice made loan debuts, for Southampton and United, which both ended in 5-0 defeats — against Sunderland and Aston Villa respectively — while also collecting a third red card in his last 36 Premier League appearances.
“Yes, it’s manager’s discretion,” Wilder said when asked if he would fine Holgate. “He apologised to the boys, he understands it. He’s an experienced professional but he’s got it wrong.
“I want us on the front foot, to be competitive, win tackles. But Mason has to get that right. It was a huge setback for us.”
Wilder had clearly set out with a defence-first game plan that was instantly rendered obsolete, all the more so when the hosts found themselves two goals behind within 12 minutes of the sending-off.
On 20 minutes, Pascal Gross’s corner was headed back across goal and forced over the line by Buonanotte’s flick before being scrambled away, although home supporters — already unhappy at the red card — booed the decision.
Four minutes later, Gross found Mitoma at the far post and, after the initial shot from the Japan international was well saved by Wes Foderingham, Welbeck was on hand to sweep in the rebound.
United supporters continued to boo Mitoma’s every touch, a particularly harsh response give his blameless — and painful — role in Holgate’s dismissal, but he was impressive in Brighton’s predictably dominant performance thereafter.
It might have been different if United’s 43rd-minute “goal” had been allowed to stand but, after another VAR check, Attwell determined that Ben Osborn had been offside when forcing in the ball from close range.
Given that United now hold the all-time Premier League mark for most goals conceded after 25 games (65), the only surprise was that the second half did not produce even more than three for the visiting team.
It was left to Mitoma to gain some measure of revenge on the home supporters when his dangerous 75th-minute cross was deflected by Robinson into his own goal from six yards.
Three minutes later, the scoreline finally reflected Brighton’s 80 per cent possession, as Gross’s cross found the unmarked Adingra, who finished competently from eight yards.
And Adingra completed the rout five minutes from the end of normal time when his shot took an unkind deflection off Auston Trusty and looped over Foderingham’s head.
It was a remarkable return to domestic duties for Adingra who, only seven days earlier, was helping Ivory Coast win the Africa Cup of Nations with two assists during the 2-1 win over Nigeria in the final. Given that Mitoma, too, had also spent last month on tournament duty for Japan, De Zerbi can certainly see the benefit of the pair having had that experience.
“Especially for Adingra, because he won the Africa Cup of Nations,” De Zerbi said. “We have suffered a lot of injuries and now we are starting the crucial part of the season, I’d like to fight and compete with a complete squad.”
It was a relief, therefore, that Holgate had not inflicted far more damage on Mitoma. “He feels good,” De Zerbi added. “He suffered a pain in the back so I changed him, not because of the foul.”
Sheffield United (5-4-1): W Foderingham 5 — J Bogle 5, M Holgate, A Ahmedhodzic 5, J Robinson 5, Y Larouci 4 (A Brooks 63min, 5) — B Osborn 6 (O Norwood 79), G Hamer 5 (T Davies 79), V Souza 4, J McAtee 7 (R Brewster 79) — W Osula 5 (A Trusty 31, 4). Booked Davies Sent off Holgate
Brighton & Hove Albion (3-4-2-1): B Verbruggen 6 — JP van Hecke 7, L Dunk 6, A Webster 6 (I Julio 45, 5) — P Gross 7, F Buonanotte 7 (E Ferguson 66, 6), B Gilmour 7, T Lamptey 6 (J Moder 45, 6) — S Adingra 6, K Mitoma 9 (A Fati 76) — D Welbeck 7 (P Estupiñán 81). Booked Lamptey, Buonanotte, Gilmour, Verbruggen
Referee S Attwell. Attendance 29,522
