Sheffield Wednesday vs Brighton & Hove Albion match report: Seagulls save unbeaten run but still topple from top of table

Sheffield Wednesday 0 Brighton & Hove Albion 0

Lucas Joao, of Sheffield Wednesday, tussles with Brighton’s Lewis Dunk during the goalless draw at Hillsborough (PA)

The most difficult team to beat in English professional football remain undefeated. Fifteen matches into the Championship season, Brighton remain the only side in the top five divisions yet to lose a league match.

Against a Sheffield Wednesday side who had knocked Arsenal out of the Capital One Cup a week earlier, that record could easily have gone. As it was, the visitors retained their record without too much difficulty. They did, though, lose their place at the top of the table.

Chris Hughton has built a team who play a patient passing game, although they found it hard to break down opponents undefeated in eight league matches.

Occasionally, Brighton were guilty of overplaying, most notably when goalkeeper David Stockdale dawdled in possession as opposing forward Lucas Joao bore down on him, and only escaped trouble with a rather panicky attempt at a Cruyff turn.

Stockdale was more impressive in turning the right-back Jack Hunt’s drive around the post after winger Ross Wallace’s chipped pass had caught the Brighton defence on their heels.

The home side survived a difficult patch early in the second half, and would have gone in front themselves but for a perfectly timed challenge by centre-back Uwe Hunemeier as Kieran Lee made an energetic forward run.

Both sides enjoyed spells of superiority, with the visitors looking more dangerous as the match progressed.

Hunemeier turned wide from eight yards under pressure after Solly March’s low free-kick from the right reached him at the far post via several deflections, and then Sam Baldock, who had been relatively quiet in attack for Brighton, found space for a shot that goalkeeper Keiren Westwood beat away.

It was the home side who finished more strongly , with Daniel Pudil, the left-back, shooting just wide of the near post and Atdhe Nuhiu seeing a shot deflected into the side-netting, but Brighton survived and their unbeaten record was preserved.

Sheffield Wednesday (4-2-3-1): Westwood; Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Pudil; Lee, Hutchinson; Wallace (Helan, 77), Forestieri, Bannan; Joao (Nuhiu, 56). Substitutes not used Wildsmith (gk), Semedo, Sasso, McGugan, Hooper.

Brighton & Hove Albion (4-4-2): Stockdale; Bruno, Hunemeier, Dunk, Rosenior; Calderon, Stephens, Kayal, March; Baldock, Hemed (Crofts, 72). Substitutes not used Maenpaa (gk), Goldson, Forster-Caskey, Manu, Ince, Murphy.

Referee K Wright (Cambridgeshire).