Lewis Dunk scored an early goal-of-the-season contender as Brighton thrashed 10-man Coventry City 5-0 away from home to go fourth in the Premier League table.

Dunk's remarkable 30-yard bullet into the top-left corner was the pick of the goals as Fabian Hurzeler's men turned on the style once again, with their 13 goals making them the leading scorers in the Premier League this season.

Charalampos Kostoulas and Malick Yalcouye scored to put the Seagulls 2-0 up, before Taiwo Awoniyi's senseless red card gave Coventry – who are still pointless and goalless – even more of a mountain to climb.

Pascal Gross made it 3-0 from the penalty spot, and after Dunk's stunner, another lovely finish from Yasin Ayari put the seal on the result, with Brighton getting a standing ovation from the home fans that remained at full-time.

After a slow start, Coventry grew into the contest, and it took two wonderful saves from Bart Verbruggen to keep them out. The Dutchman showed great reflexes to tip Jack Rudoni's goal-bound header away, then pushed a Frank Onyeka volley over.

But 35 minutes in, Kostoulas – who had already smashed one chance into the side netting – made the breakthrough, bamboozling Ethan Pinnock by turning and heading the ball away from his opponent, then applying the finish himself.

Brighton led 2-0 in the 51st minute, as Yalcouye reacted quicker than Milan van Ewijk and Bobby Thomas following Maxim De Cuyper's clearance, before darting in behind and stroking past Carl Rushworth with ease.

Coventry's frustration was clear at that point, and Awoniyi paid the price immediately from the restart. The striker was not looking at the ball as he first bumped into De Cuyper, then led with his elbow on the Belgian in their second collision, with Tony Harrington brandishing a straight red for violent conduct.

The lively Kostoulas was involved again as Brighton ended any slim hopes of a Coventry comeback in the 70th minute, making a blind-side run that led to him being fouled by Thomas, before Gross scored from the penalty spot.

Dunk's incredible, swerving strike from distance nestled perfectly in the top-left corner to provoke wild celebrations from the Brighton bench in the 83rd minute, and there was still time for the Seagulls to add further gloss in stoppage time.

Ayari took in another pass from Gross, shifted the ball onto his right foot and picked out the bottom-right corner stylishly, as Hurzeler's impressive side climbed to fourth in the table.

Calamitous Coventry swatted aside as Seagulls soar

Coventry are just the second team to open a Premier League campaign with four straight defeats to nil, after Crystal Palace did so in 2017-18.

Palace ultimately ended that campaign in 11th place, but such lofty heights look well beyond Coventry's capabilities after they were put to the sword on Sunday.

Brighton only had one more shot on target than Coventry (seven to six), and massively overperformed their 2.69 expected goals (xG), while Verbruggen's first-half heroics restricted the Sky Blues, who finished with 1.39 xG.

Awoniyi's red card made things far more difficult for Coventry, and this is the first time in Lampard's managerial career that one of his teams have conceded three or more goals, had a player sent off and conceded a penalty in the same game, in his 283rd match.

Brighton's 13 goals this season are their most after four games of a top-flight campaign in their history (14 seasons), and Dunk's standout strike was just his second from outside the penalty area in 303 Premier League appearances, and his first-ever strike in the competition from open play.