Igor Thiago’s instant reaction to VAR red card for Brentford at Brighton questioned

talkSPORT host Adrian Durham could not believe Igor Thiago laughed just moments after being sent off for Brentford. The striker was shown a straight red card for violent conduct in the 23rd minute of the Premier League fixture, with Brighton won 2-0. Referee Michael Oliver went to the VAR screen and made the decision after Thiago was seen catching Chema Andres in the face. There’s an argument to say it was soft as it appears as though Andres was the one who instigated the scuffle. Thiago was seen laughing when walking off the pitch, with Brentford already trailing 1-0 after a stunning goal from Diego Gomez. Thiago red card reaction Durham watched his reaction on talkSPORT commentary, and said: “I don’t like the fact Igor Thiago’s laughing his head off as he goes off. “He’s obviously angry about it. He thinks it’s a wrong decision.” “As soon as you raise your arms you know you’re in trouble,” Micky Gray added. “Andres has obviously gone to ground. He stood back on his feet. He’s frustrated that he’s gone to ground. “But when you’re watching things like that you’re just thinking as a player, ‘Why did I do that?’ “It’s a split moment but as soon as his arms are raised and he hits the face, that’s it.” The Premier League explained why Thiago was sent off, saying: “After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of yellow card to Thiago and upgraded it to a red card for violent conduct. “REF: ‘After review, Brentford No.9 pushes his opponent in the face with force. Yellow card is cancelled and the final decision is red card’.” View Tweet: https://t.co/NNcOqZjJdX Thiago’s red card is the first he has been given for Brentford since he joined the club in 2024. The 25-year-old scored in their 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend, his fourth goal of the season in all competitions. However, due to his sending off being for violent conduct, he will be suspended for the next three matches. This means he will miss the Premier League fixtures against Everton, Manchester United and Arsenal . Brentford’s first half got even worse before the break as Pascal Gross scored a penalty to put Brighton 2-0 up. Brighton are now second in the Premier League, but five points adrift of leaders Arsenal.