Pascal Struijk: Red Card Overturned After VAR Intervention
BBC Sport reported on a controversial decision in a Brighton & Hove Albion vs Sunderland match on October 14, 2026. Pascal Struijk, a Brighton defender, was initially shown a red card by referee Thomas Bramall after 57 minutes, following an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Struijk was accused of fouling Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor as he attempted to run onto a through-ball. Although neither the on-field referee nor his assistant initially called a foul, VAR Neil Davies reviewed the incident and prompted Bramall to check the replay.
After reviewing the footage multiple times, Bramall ultimately showed Struijk a straight red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity. The decision shocked Brighton players and sparked disbelief.
However, following a successful appeal, the decision was reversed, meaning Struijk will not face a one-match ban. He will now be available to play against Crystal Palace this weekend.
Struijk, who joined Brighton from Leeds in a £20m transfer this summer, was making his second Premier League start. Despite the controversial red card, Brighton went on to win the match 2-0, maintaining their strong start to the season and sitting third, five points behind leaders Manchester City.
As analyzed by Dale Johnson, a football correspondent, the initial decision by Bramall would have been poor, but the intervention by VAR was even worse due to the subjective nature of red cards for denying obvious goalscoring opportunities.