Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi had a day to forget on Sunday after he was shown a straight red card as Coventry City suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League.
Awoniyi was sent off in the 53rd minute for an elbow on a Brighton player, with Coventry already trailing 2-0 at the time.
The dismissal made Coventry’s difficult afternoon even worse, as the newly promoted side were forced to play with 10 men for the rest of the match.
Brighton took full advantage of their numerical advantage and dominated the game after the break. The visitors added three more goals to complete a convincing 5-0 victory and leave Coventry with another disappointing result.
Awoniyi had featured in Coventry’s starting line up but could not help his team find a way back into the match before his dismissal.
His Nigerian compatriot Frank Onyeka also played for Coventry and remained on the pitch for 73 minutes before being substituted.
The defeat means Coventry are still without a win or a goal after their first four Premier League matches since returning to the top flight.
Coventry’s return to the Premier League after 25 years has therefore been a difficult one. They have lost all four of their matches and have failed to score in any of them.
The Sky Blues remain at the bottom of the Premier League table with no points, while Brighton’s victory moved them up to fourth place with seven points.
The result also leaves Coventry facing an early battle to avoid being cut adrift from the other teams in the league. Their inability to score has become a major concern, while Awoniyi’s red card adds another setback for manager Frank Lampard.
Lampard had urged his players to remain positive after a difficult first half, despite their failure to convert their chances.
“We created pressure in the first half, but we couldn’t get the finish. We must stay positive,” Lampard said.
However, Coventry were unable to maintain their early pressure after Awoniyi’s dismissal. Brighton became increasingly dominant and turned the game into a comfortable victory.
The match was also a memorable one for Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross, who registered his 50th Premier League assist.
Gross provided the assist for Yasin Ayari’s goal, which completed Brighton’s scoring. He also converted a penalty during the match.
For Awoniyi, the sending off will be a major disappointment as he looks to establish himself with Coventry following their promotion to the Premier League.
Lampard will now have to lift his players ahead of a demanding period. Coventry are scheduled to host Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup before travelling to face Nottingham Forest in their next Premier League fixture.
The club will be hoping to put the heavy defeat behind them and finally get their first goal and points of the season.
