Brighton slip to humiliating defeat at home to Bournemouth

A humiliating 5-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the Amex Stadium on Saturday left Brighton & Hove Albion very much embroiled in the Premier League relegation battle.

Having won just twice all year in the Premier League, Brighton have been dragged into the scrap at the bottom and fell behind to Dan Gosling's 33rd-minute strike.

Ryan Fraser's fine finish after a swift counter-attack 10 minutes into the second half doubled the visitors' advantage and Brighton's miserable afternoon continued when Anthony Knockaert was given a straight red card for a nasty lunge in the 68th minute.

There was no way back for Brighton after that, with David Brooks making sure of a first win in four league games for Bournemouth in the 74th minute. Callum Wilson's and Junior Stanislas's late goals completed the rout.

Another home defeat means Brighton remain five points clear of Cardiff in 18th, having played a game less, with the pair meeting in a crucial relegation battle on Tuesday, while Bournemouth moved on to 41 points and are all but safe.

"There were some strong words said in the changing room, like there should be," Brighton midfielder Dale Stephens said. "We just need to make sure it was just a one-off."

Brighton had come into the contest having lost three of their last five Premier League home games, and never looked like rectifying that poor run.

Josh King went close early on before Gosling opened his Premier League account for the season after being picked out by King.

Following the break, the floodgates opened after Fraser's finish from 18 yards, before Knockaert's needless lunge ensured Brighton played the final 22 minutes with 10 men.

The home side left the pitch to a chorus of boos, while Bournemouth's players celebrated a result that should preserve their top flight status.