Taiwo Awoniyi’s afternoon at the CBS Arena couldn’t have gone much worse. The Super Eagles striker was sent off in the 53rd minute as Coventry City was thrashed by Brighton.
Brighton took the lead through Charalampos Kostoulas in the 36th minute, his first league goal since January, before Malick Yalcouyé doubled the advantage early in the second half.
Awoniyi’s dismissal followed almost immediately, referee Tony Harrington ruled that the striker had caught Brighton defender Maxim De Cuyper with his elbow during an aerial challenge, and the decision stood up after a VAR review.
Down to ten men and already two goals behind, Coventry had little answer. Pascal Groß converted a 70th-minute penalty, Lewis Dunk added a fourth late on, and Yasin Ayari completed the rout in stoppage time.
After yesterday’s game, Frank Lampard’s side remain bottom of the table, still without a goal or a point after four games. Awoniyi and Onyeka started for Coventry, and neither had much to celebrate.
Awoniyi, making just his fourth appearance for the club, will now serve a three-match ban for violent conduct ruling him out of the Carabao Cup tie against Aston Villa, a Premier League trip to his former side Nottingham Forest and the game against Newcastle after the international break.
In addition, Frank Onyeka lasted 73 minutes before being substituted, having gone close himself with an effort well saved by Bart Verbruggen.
