Joao Pedro got here off the bench to attain a match-winning double for Brighton, who gained 3-2 at Nottingham Forest regardless of seeing Lewis Dunk bizarrely despatched off for dissent.

Pedro got here on within the first half for the injured Ansu Fati and scored both aspect of half-time to place Brighton 3-1 up, after fellow Seagulls striker Evan Ferguson had cancelled out Anthony Elanga’s early strike for Forest.

But the sport turned nervy for Roberto De Zerbi’s aspect with quarter-hour to go as VAR noticed a foul by Jack Hinshelwood on Callum Hudson-Odoi within the field. After Anthony Taylor gave the penalty following a visit to the VAR monitor, Brighton captain Dunk was initially given a yellow card for dissent, however was despatched off 30 seconds later after persevering with his complaints.

Morgan Gibbs-White scored the penalty and regardless of a late onslaught from Forest, which included two large missed probabilities for Ryan Yates in stoppage time, Brighton held on for a primary Premier League victory in seven video games – sparking unbelievable celebrations from De Zerbi, who ran straight throughout the pitch to the away followers.

“Our celebrations today, we didn’t win the Champions League, we know that very well,” De Zerbi instructed Sky Sports after the sport. “But it was a troublesome second for us. We wish to have fun this manner with our followers, our perspective to win was nice.

“I think we played one of the best games in our season in terms of the quality of the play and personality. We never suffered until the red card. Nothing else more or less.

“But truthfully it is troublesome to win the sport for us, given we’ve ten gamers with harm and we completed with ten gamers after the crimson card. We completed the sport with two gamers [born in] 2005, one in 2004. Pascal Gross was at right-back, Hinshelwood was at left-back and he isn’t a left-back. Veltman was at centre again. Moder did not play within the final two years.”

Mourinho-esque! De Zerbi’s full-time dash in footage

From agony to ecstasy – how De Zerbi’s Brighton held on

Brighton had the overwhelming majority of the ball all through nevertheless it was Forest who took the initiative via the primary shot of the sport.

Gibbs-White burst down the best and hung a ball to the again put up for the unmarked Elanga to move house, within the excellent begin for Steve Cooper’s aspect.

But Brighton weren’t disheartened by the early setback. Fati and Billy Gilmour noticed snapshots fly extensive, earlier than the latter noticed a shot from contained in the field nicely held by Forest goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

Then got here the primary of two Seagulls setbacks as Fati went down holding his proper leg, with Pedro approaching. And 5 minutes after that substitution, Brighton had been degree.

The wonderful Pascal Gross ventured into the Forest half and located Ferguson within the field by way of an Adam Lallana dummy. The Irish striker took one contact earlier than discovering the underside nook with ease.

Forest practically retook the lead in fast style once more as Gibbs-White was performed in behind by a superb diagonal Murillo move, just for Dunk to disclaim him with a goal-saving block.

And after Tariq Lamptey’s harm and subsequent substitution for Hinshelwood caused six minutes of first-half stoppage time, Brighton discovered their second.

Gross was not closed down on the best wing so had time and area to search out Pedro, who headed into the far nook on the again put up.

Forest tried to get again into the sport after the break as Danilo fired extensive on the far put up from Harry Toffolo’s nook, however Brighton had been handed a penalty for a careless foul on Pedro by Wood.

Pedro stepped as much as ship Vlachodimos the fallacious approach and it appeared like Brighton had been coasting to victory.

That was till Forest bought a penalty of their very own – and all hell broke unfastened on the City Ground. VAR instructed referee Taylor to go to the monitor after recognizing a pull on Hudson-Odoi by Hinshelwood.

Taylor gave the spot-kick after seeing the incident and was instantly met by Brighton captain Dunk, who was booked for dissent. The Brighton captain continued his remonstrations with the referee and was given his marching orders, with De Zerbi chopping an indignant determine on the sidelines.

Gibbs-White scored the penalty and Forest weren’t performed but. Toffolo noticed a deflected effort practically deceive Verbruggen, whereas Gibbs-White bought his bearings fallacious when discovered with a header within the six-yard field.

As 10 minutes of added time drew to an in depth, Forest thought they’d their equaliser when Yates noticed a tame header saved by Verbruggen from shut vary.

At the opposite finish, Pedro was denied a hat-trick on the break by a last-ditch crunching deal with by Murillo – nevertheless it was De Zerbi who was working in direction of that finish on the full-time whistle, celebrating the three factors with a Jose Mourinho-esque run in direction of the Brighton followers.

Cooper criticises referee Taylor

Nottingham Forest supervisor Steve Cooper didn’t maintain again in his criticism of referee Taylor for the awarding of Brighton’s penalty then not initially giving the hosts a spot kick for the foul on Hudson-Odoi.

Taylor is considered one of English soccer’s most profitable referees and was considered one of solely two officers to symbolize his house nation on the World Cup in Qatar – however Cooper says if the 45-year-old is the very best on provide, then it’s a concern.

“It probably tells you a bit about Anthony today and where we’re at in general with refereeing,” he instructed Sky Sports.

“I’m trying to be the guy who is in the camp of supporting and not criticising. I really am. But you have to stand up for your team as well.

“When you see selections like that, he sees the one in open play however does not see the one overturned by VAR. It’s in all probability the place we’re at by way of the arrogance in refereeing for the time being.

“It’s cost us and it will be someone else next week. But I repeat, we didn’t play well enough in the first half so I’m not going to hide just behind the penalty decision.

“I’m attempting to be within the camp of: ‘how can we assist and assist them?’ Because they clearly need assistance.

“Like I said, Anthony is right up there in terms of being one of the best referees and if that’s where it’s at, then it’s not setting the bar for anybody.

“The second half, for the impartial it was fairly entertaining as a result of there have been a great deal of incidents that I did not significantly get pleasure from. But that is simply attributable to the referee and the efficiency ranges. But he’ll know that, he is an sincere ref and he’ll know he has to enhance.”

De Zerbi: Maybe Dunk made a mistake

Brighton manager De Zerbi, meanwhile, refused to criticise his captain Dunk for his clumsy red card – but did say his defender “made a mistake” in getting sent off.

The Seagulls boss revealed that Dunk had apologised to the team after the game for his sending off but when asked in his press conference whether the defender will be fined by the club, the Italian said: “I’m not a policeman, I’m a coach. He mentioned sorry to everybody, he understood the error.”

“Without character, it is unimaginable to win the sport, particularly in soccer. But we performed an amazing recreation for 60 minutes I feel,” he told Sky Sports.

“I do not wish to discuss controversies. I consider in my captain and I consider in Dunk. He made a mistake as a result of it is attainable he mentioned one thing dangerous. I do not know, I’ve not spoken with him but however we needed to win 100 per cent with our greatest and perhaps it is attainable Lewis made a mistake.

“Absolutely, we defended very well with character, with order. Sometimes we lost order but Nottingham at home is very tough. The atmosphere in this stadium is fantastic.

“I’m not used to talking concerning the referee selections. When they resolve one thing, we’ve to simply accept. I do not know in the event that they’re related or not. But I do not assume the referee made the distinction within the recreation.”

What’s next?

Nottingham Forest‘s subsequent Premier League conflict is towards Everton on Saturday December 2, reside on Sky Sports; kick-off 5.30pm.

Brighton are in Europa League motion Thursday once they journey to AEK Athens; kick-off 5.45pm.

Meanwhile, their subsequent Premier League project is a visit to Chelsea; kick-off 2pm.