Key talking points as Brighton hammer 10-man Blades

Brighton hammered Sheffield United 5-0 on another nightmare afternoon for the Premier League's basement boys.

Mason Holgate's crazy red card after 13 minutes effectively decided the game, with Facundo Buonanotte and Danny Welbeck rapidly putting the visitors two goals up.

A Jack Robinson own goal and Simon Adingra's brace added to the Seagulls' goal tally in the second half.

We analyse the key talking points.

Reckless red

The path for this game was set after Holgate's ridiculous tackle saw him sent for an early bath. 

The Everton loanee's dangerous lunge at Kaoru Mitoma left his team-mates stranded against a Brighton team expected to dominate.

Chris Wilder's Blades have found it hard enough with a full complement of players this season and never stood a chance a man down.

Having aimed to continue the momentum generated by winning 3-1 at Luton last week, the Blades may well reflect on Holgate's moment of madness as hugely significant in their season come May.

Easy pickings

Holgate's red card not only created an imbalance in the numbers but an imbalance in his side's defence as their back-five shape had to be quickly adapted.

And it was the 10 minutes in which they attempted to regroup that Brighton seized advantage.

A messy set-piece was eventually turned in by Buonanotte before Welbeck slammed in a second with the hosts at sixes and sevens.

Their efforts at damage control from there were commendable but came far too late.

Gross-ly underrated

Brighton have developed and sold hundreds of millions of pounds' worth of talent in recent years, with more youngsters currently starring for the club.

Yet it is Pascal Gross who has registered more league goal involvements than any of his team-mates this season and he was in typically fine form again at Bramall Lane.

The versatile German, 32, played the first half in midfield, pulling the strings with a 96.7% pass accuracy rate and firing off four key passes.

He proved his versatility in the second period by moving to right-back and teeing up Adingra for Brighton's fourth.

Home of horrors

The defeat was the latest in a long list of Bramall Lane nightmares for Sheffield United.

They have now conceded five goals in each of their last three home matches — as well as being thumped 8-0 by Newcastle last September.

Arsenal are next to travel to South Yorkshire, while Chelsea and Tottenham will also visit before the season's end.

And with a second miserable relegation in four seasons surely imminent, this campaign is another reminder of how bruising life can be for teams coming up from the Championship.

Still in the mix

Brighton had won just four of their last 18 league matches coming into this game but proved once more what an accomplished side they have become.

And having moved back up to seventh, above Newcastle and West Ham, they are still right in the mix to qualify for Europe.

With an FA Cup fifth-round clash against Wolves and Europa League last-16 tie to come, the Seagulls are well set for another season to remember. 

Roberto De Zerbi was linked with the manager's job at Barcelona earlier this week and could be set to leave on a high.