Daniel Farke will spend the next couple of days trying to find some positives from Leeds United’s heavy 3-0 defeat to Brighton on Saturday, but it could have been a lot worse.
Certainly, if Fabian Hurzeler got his way. A brace from Diego Gomez came after in-form Danny Welbeck scored again for Brighton as the Seagulls dispatched Leeds with some ease on Saturday afternoon.
Leeds had chances through Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Sean Longstaff, with the scoreline reading only 1-0 to Brighton, but Leeds were easily second best and well beaten by a side pushing for European football.
It’s a fifth defeat in 10 Premier League games for Leeds, and a third in four. But Leeds fans could hardly have expected much else, last winning at Brighton 16 years ago. However, it could have been a lot worse.
Leeds players applaud fans after Brighton defeat.
Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images
Fabian Hurzeler wanted Leeds’ Ethan Ampadu sent off
In truth, Brighton could have had five or six had it not been for the performance of Lucas Perri. Leeds did have chances, even late on through Lukas Nmecha and Anton Stach, but Brighton deserved to win.
But a moment in the 73rd minute had Hurzeler “furious”, according to Graham Smyth. Ethan Ampadu was shown a yellow card for scything down Gomez, but Hurzeler wanted the Leeds skipper to be shown red.
“73 – Ampadu skinned by Gomez, lunges in and fouls him. Hurzeler furious, wants more than a yellow. Farke unhappy with that. Yellow only,” Smyth reported, with Farke not impressed at Hurzeler’s protests.
73 – Ampadu skinned by Gomez, lunges in and fouls him. Hurzeler furious, wants more than a yellow. Farke unhappy with that. Yellow only.
3-0#lufc
— Graham Smyth (@GrahamSmyth) November 1, 2025
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Ampadu was the only player to receive a yellow card from Michael Oliver on Saturday. It was the skipper’s third of the season, even if he missed games against Arsenal and Newcastle because of a knee injury.
That was Ampadu’s third yellow of the season, and he is now just two yellow cards away from picking up a one-game ban. He is the only Leeds player to have three yellows, while two players currently have two.
Noah Okafor and Jayden Bogle have picked up two yellow cards, while eight other players have also been handed a caution, including Brenden Aaronson, Anton Stach, Pascal Struijk, and Willy Gnonto this season.