Advantage Newcastle United? Brighton handed huge suspension blow ahead of Amex Stadium clash

Newcastle United haven’t won at the Amex Stadium since strikes from Ayoze Perez and Mohamed Diame earned them a 2-1 win during their 2016/17 Championship winning campaign. Their last trip to Brighton, in September 2023, saw them defeated 3-0 following an Evan Ferguson hat-trick.

With the race for European qualification heating up, Newcastle’s trip to the south coast in just over a fortnight’s time looks to be a pivotal game for both sides, however, the hosts have been handed a huge blow ahead of that game:

Joao Pedro red card v Brentford

Brighton are at risk of being without their talisman after he was shown a red card just after the hour mark of their clash with Thomas Frank’s Brentford on Saturday. Pedro, who has scored ten Premier League goals for the Seagulls this season, was involved in an incident with Bees defender Nathan Collins.

The Brazilian seemed to flick out at his opponent before referee Tim Robinson, who took a fair amount of time to consider his next steps, brandished a red card. A dismissal for violent conduct brings with it the risk of a three-match ban, meaning Pedro will miss Brighton’s clash against West Ham next weekend, as well as games against Newcastle United and Wolves.

Speaking on Football Focus, former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock admitted he thought it was a deserved red for the 23-year-old: “It was silly from Joao Pedro but this is not the first time we have seen that from him this season. He has got previous.

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“It looks like the arms come up into an area and you think, why are you doing that? Completely off the ball. From what we saw initially I think it is a red card.”

Pedro’s likely three-match suspension for violent conduct comes after Anthony Gordon was forced to sit out of Newcastle’s wins over West Ham, Liverpool and Brentford after being sent-off in the FA Cup against the Seagulls. On that occasion, Gordon was shown a red following an altercation between himself and Jan Paul van Hecke where the winger was judged to have pushed his opponent in the face.

Brighton’s European hopes dangling by a thread

Pedro’s red card on Saturday came as his side trailed 3-1 to Brentford in a huge match for both teams’ European aspirations. An early Bryan Mbeumo strike was cancelled out by Danny Welbeck on the stroke of half-time.

The Bees would respond to that as Mbeumo added a second just moments after the break, before Yoan Wissa doubled their advantage to leave the Seagulls on the brink of a fourth defeat in a row in all competitions.

Karou Mitoma replied in the 81st minute to give Fabian Hurzeler’s side a sniff of an unlikely point, but a late goal from Christian Norgaard ensured that they would again taste defeat and end the day tenth in the Premier League table.

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