Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Sunderland: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Ladbrokes’ post-match review of Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday, 20 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Brighton & Hove Albion and Sunderland played out a goalless draw with a final score of 0-0. The first half saw Brighton pick up early yellow cards for Brajan Gruda at 19 minutes and Diego Coppola at 34 minutes, which disrupted their rhythm, while Sunderland looked to counter but couldn’t break through. Brighton made a halftime change with Joël Veltman replacing Mats Wieffer, aiming to steady the ship after a recent run that included a loss to Liverpool and a draw with West Ham United.

The second half brought more substitutions, as Brighton brought on Kaoru Mitoma for Maxim De Cuyper at 64 minutes, followed by Charalampos Kostoulas for Yankuba Minteh and James Milner for Jack Hinshelwood at 71 minutes. Sunderland responded with Romaine Mundle replacing Simon Adingra at 63 minutes, Habib Diarra for Chris Rigg at 64 minutes, and Wilson Isidor for Brian Brobbey at 72 minutes, but late yellow cards for Dan Ballard at 79 minutes and Enzo Le Fée at 86 minutes hampered their push. Brighton rounded off their changes with Tom Watson replacing Brajan Gruda at 86 minutes, yet neither side could find a winner, fitting Sunderland’s mixed recent form of a win over Newcastle United and a loss to Manchester City.

Brighton & Hove Albion edged possession at 57% compared to Sunderland’s 43%, showing they controlled more of the ball but struggled to convert that into clear chances, while Sunderland’s slightly higher corner count of four to three suggested they posed threats from set pieces. Successful dribbles heavily favoured Brighton with 42 against Sunderland’s 25, indicating brighter attacking intent through individual skill, though both teams picked up two yellow cards each without any reds, pointing to a scrappy but not overly heated contest.

Substitutions saw Brighton use all five available slots, starting with Joël Veltman coming on for Mats Wieffer at halftime, followed by Kaoru Mitoma for Maxim De Cuyper, Charalampos Kostoulas for Yankuba Minteh and James Milner for Jack Hinshelwood in quick succession around the 70-minute mark, and Tom Watson for Brajan Gruda late on; Sunderland used three, with Romaine Mundle replacing Simon Adingra, Habib Diarra for Chris Rigg, and Wilson Isidor for Brian Brobbey, which helped refresh their lineup but didn’t shift the deadlock.

The match’s early discipline issues set a cautious tone, with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Brajan Gruda booked at 19 minutes and Diego Coppola at 34 minutes, limiting their aggression in midfield. Halftime brought Brighton’s first substitution as Joël Veltman replaced Mats Wieffer, while Sunderland’s changes around the hour mark—Romaine Mundle for Simon Adingra at 63 minutes and Habib Diarra for Chris Rigg at 64 minutes—aimed to inject energy, though neither side created a decisive breakthrough.

Brighton continued tweaking with Kaoru Mitoma coming on for Maxim De Cuyper at 64 minutes, then Charalampos Kostoulas for Yankuba Minteh and James Milner for Jack Hinshelwood at 71 minutes, alongside Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor replacing Brian Brobbey at 72 minutes. Late yellow cards for Sunderland’s Dan Ballard at 79 minutes and Enzo Le Fée at 86 minutes added tension, and Brighton’s final change of Tom Watson for Brajan Gruda at 86 minutes couldn’t force a goal in the closing stages.

Brighton & Hove Albion lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Mats Wieffer and Jack Hinshelwood anchoring midfield before their substitutions, while Yankuba Minteh and Brajan Gruda provided width until being replaced by Charalampos Kostoulas and Tom Watson respectively. Maxim De Cuyper started on the left before making way for Kaoru Mitoma, and Diego Coppola’s early yellow card highlighted defensive vulnerabilities in central areas.

Sunderland set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Chris Rigg in midfield until Habib Diarra replaced him, and Simon Adingra offering attacking threat before Romaine Mundle came on. Brian Brobbey led the line until Wilson Isidor took over, while Dan Ballard and Enzo Le Fée’s late yellow cards underlined a solid but disciplined backline effort.

Bart Verbruggen earned Ladbrokes’ Man of the Match for Brighton & Hove Albion with a strong performance in goal, making six crucial saves to keep a clean sheet and ensure no goals were conceded, though he recorded no clearances or punches in a game where his shot-stopping proved vital.

Recent Premier League matches:

• Draw: 0-0 vs Sunderland (H)
• Loss: 0-2 vs Liverpool (A)
• Draw: 1-1 vs West Ham United (H)
• Loss: 3-4 vs Aston Villa (H)
• Win: 2-0 vs Nottingham Forest (A)

Recent Premier League matches:

• Draw: 0-0 vs Brighton & Hove Albion (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Newcastle United (H)
• Loss: 0-3 vs Manchester City (A)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Liverpool (A)
• Win: 3-2 vs AFC Bournemouth (H)

Brighton & Hove Albion have just drawn 0-0 at home to Sunderland, leaving them ninth on 24 points after a patchy run that includes a loss to Liverpool and a win over Nottingham Forest. They face a tough test next against Arsenal on 27 December 2025 at 15:00, with the league leaders on 39 points, so a positive result could boost their push for European spots.

Sunderland have just drawn 0-0 away to Brighton & Hove Albion, keeping them sixth on 27 points following a win over Newcastle United and a draw with Liverpool in recent games. Their next fixture is at home to Leeds United on 28 December 2025 at 14:00, with the opponents 16th on 19 points, offering a chance to solidify their top-half position and build momentum.

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Odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.