Brighton & Hove Albion defender Pascal Struijk has successfully appealed a red card received during his team's 2-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday. The centre-back was initially sent off in the 57th minute after video assistant referee (VAR) intervention led referee Thomas Bramall to overturn his original decision not to foul.

During the match at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, Struijk brought down Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor with Brighton leading 1-0. Although Bramall did not initially call a foul, he was prompted by VAR official Neil Davies to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. After examining multiple replays, Bramall determined that Struijk had denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity, issuing a red card.

The decision surprised both Struijk and his teammates, as the collision appeared accidental. Following the match, Brighton appealed the dismissal to the Football Association (FA), arguing that the red card was unjustified. The FA upheld Brighton’s appeal, effectively rescinding the red card and allowing Struijk to remain available for selection.

As a result, Struijk is now cleared to participate in Brighton’s upcoming match against Crystal Palace at the Amex Stadium on Sunday. The successful appeal also means he will avoid the automatic one-match suspension that normally accompanies a red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity.