Here are five talking points from Saturday's narrow 1-0 defeat at the Amex, as Ollie McBurnie's first-half strike proved to be the difference between the two teams.
1. Aaron Mooy’s contribution
Since joining from Huddersfield Town in the summer, it appears that the Australian is beginning to find his feet in an Albion shirt, and can be regarded as one of Albion’s best performers on Saturday afternoon.
The central midfielder persists of the gifted ability to transition the ball from defence to attack with incredible effect, and we should expect to see more positive performances in the coming games.
2. The threat of Aaron Connolly
The Republic of Ireland international was part of Graham Potter’s double substitution at half-time which saw the introduction of himself and Glenn Murray.
Throughout the second half, the presence of Connolly provided the well-organised defence of Sheffield United something to think about, and caused some concern for Wilder’s side.
On multiple occasions, the 19-year-old stretched the opposition’s defence and added a new dynamic to Brighton’s attack, as the Albion searched for a late equaliser.
3. Yves Bissouma’s impact off the bench
The Malian midfielder replaced Martin Montoya mid-way through the second-half and provided the freshness that Potter’s side craved.
Bissouma regularly received the ball in high-pressure situations and was able to maintain possession in a calm and composed manner. Moreover, Bissouma asked questions of the Sheffield defence as he made solo runs into the penalty area and carved out opportunities for himself and others.
4. Davy Propper’s versatility
We’re used to seeing the stylish Dutchman operate within the heart of midfield, and Propper fulfilled this role for the first 45 minutes.
However, the natural central-midfielder demonstrated his versatile nature as he swapped the centre of the park to a makeshift right-back position due to the introduction of Bissouma. Despite playing out of position, Propper put in a solid performance.
5. VAR makes the right calls
VAR continues to be a big talking point this season, but it could be argued that it got the big decisions right on Saturday.
John Egan was the first to be denied when he turned in a corner in the eighth minute, but video referee Michael Oliver spotted he had done so with his hand.
The second disallowed goal was ruled out for offside, after Aaron Mooy’s shot was parried by Dean Henderson. Martin Montoya latched onto the loose ball and teed up Neal Maupay, but the former was offside as Mooy shot and the flag went up.
That decision was double-checked and deemed as being the correct call by VAR.
Jack O'Connell was next to have his goal ruled out when he reacted quickest after Maty Ryan dropped Egan’s header, but VAR confirmed that he was offside.