João Gomes became the first player dismissed in the first half of a Premier League debut since 2012 during the 2026–27 opening weekend.
Gomes was sent off five minutes before half-time in Aston Villa’s 4–0 defeat by Brighton on Sunday 23 August 2026. The Brazilian midfielder had joined Villa from Wolverhampton Wanderers during the summer.
His dismissal came during a disastrous first half for Villa, who were already four goals behind by the 31st minute. Jack Hinshelwood scored twice, Maxim De Cuyper added another, and Victor Lindelöf was credited with an own goal.
The previous player to match this unusual statistic was QPR’s Samba Diakité, who was dismissed in the first half of his Premier League debut against Fulham in 2012. Gomes’ red card therefore became a notable historical footnote despite the match being his first league appearance for Villa.