Which 2026–27 Premier League opening-weekend match had the earliest red card?
Answer
Brighton vs Aston Villa
Brighton versus Aston Villa had the earliest red card of the 2026–27 Premier League opening weekend.
Aston Villa midfielder Joao Gomes was sent off five minutes before half-time during Brighton’s 4–0 victory. The dismissal came in a match Brighton had already dominated, scoring four times in the first 31 minutes.
The red card made Gomes the first player dismissed in the first half of his Premier League debut since Samba Diakité was sent off for Queens Park Rangers against Fulham in 2012. Gomes had joined Villa from Wolverhampton Wanderers during the summer.
Brighton’s victory was the biggest home win of the opening weekend. Jack Hinshelwood scored twice in 79 seconds, while Maxim De Cuyper and an own goal from Victor Lindelof completed the scoring. Aston Villa were unable to recover after going down to ten players before the interval.