Brighton and Hove Albion seal an immensely satisfying win against Sunderland with a memorable 2-0 victory in the North East. 

A game that was always likely to be tough from the get-go certainly delivered, but Fabian Hürzeler's side shot up to third in the league, for a third win in a row and with a third straight clean sheet. All the threes, minus the scoreline!

The second half appeared rather lacklustre. The Black Cats set up well, and the initial 45 minutes finished fairly evenly. It wasn't an easy ride for Albion, but they were not without their chances. 

Diego Gomez had an opportunity to put his side in front after a mess at the back, but failed to capitalise as his effort was straight at Robin Roefs on the edge of the box. In an imaginary world, there could have been a chance to go around him at that point. 

Perhaps the best chance of the half came at the very end, when Pascal Struijk hit the post for the Seagulls just before the half-time whistle. 

Some shaky errors almost cost Albion, and Isidor went closest for the home side as he smacked the post from close range. 

The confidence grew in the second half, and Albion rightfully opened the scoring. A magnificent pass from Pascal Groß fell straight to the feet of Maxim De Cuyper inside the box, and the Belgian dispatched it calmly. We all know how good the left-sided forward is inside the box, and he proved his value again this afternoon.

Fans' delight lasted only a matter of minutes, as Struijk was shown a red card for a challenge on Isidor. The VAR deemed the challenge a denial of a goalscoring opportunity, and to be honest, probably fair enough. From an honest fan's mind, I would be upset if that wasn't given the other way, even if Bart Verbruggen could have reached it. 

Sunderland continued a barrage of opportunities, but in all honesty, failed to create anything meaningful. A huge credit to Hürzeler, whose side defended excellently. 

The substitutions were perfectly timed and helped win the game, as the likes of Malick Yalcouyé, Jaouen Hadjam, and Georginio Rutter were impactful off the bench. 

The latter names sealed it. Georginio's delightful pass was almost a carbon copy of the Groß ball earlier in the game, and the Algerian full-back finished off remarkably well, low into the far bottom corner. 

Perhaps one of the most satisfying wins you will see all season, and a memorable one for the fan diaries. Hürzeler's dynamism and wonderfully timed decisions were key to the win today, and the German continues to complete his turnaround with the fanbase. 

What a club; Brighton are still in the top four.