Manchester United suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday afternoon, a game that exposed their defensive frailties once again.
Coming off a 3-1 victory over Southampton, the Red Devils quickly found themselves back in troubled waters, with a glaring error from goalkeeper Andre Onana standing out as a painful memory for the Old Trafford crowd.
Brighton wasted no time testing United’s resolve. In just the second minute, Joao Pedro danced past Leny Yoro, with Harry Maguire racing back to cover him.
Pedro’s well-timed through ball aimed for Danny Welbeck in the center, but Onana managed to intercept. This early scare underlined the need for United’s backline to stay sharp against Brighton’s potent attack.
Four minutes into the match, disaster struck for United. Kaoru Mitoma exploited the high defensive line, broke free, and delivered a perfect pass to Yankuba Minteh, who coolly slotted the ball home.
It was yet another nightmare start for United, a pattern that has haunted them this season.
United tried to take control of possession and dictate the tempo, but Brighton’s defence remained compact, denying any clear chances.
Amad Diallo was dragged down in the Brighton box during a chaotic scramble, but no penalty was awarded.
Moments later, Joshua Zirkzee charged into the box after a quick pass from Amad, only to be fouled by Carlos Noom Quomah Baleba. The referee pointed to the spot and showed Baleba a yellow card.
Bruno Fernandes stepped up to take the penalty and confidently placed it into the bottom left corner, wrong-footing the goalkeeper to bring United level at 1-1 in the 23rd minute.
United found some attacking rhythm as Fernandes delivered a stunning cross to Noussair Mazraoui, who threaded a pass to Amad before he was dispossessed.
In the 39th minute, Amad seemed to beat the offside trap, connecting with a brilliant long ball from Manuel Ugarte. While he got past the goalkeeper, his angle was too tight to convert, and the defence recovered swiftly. Though the flag went up, it was a promising counterattack.
Just before halftime, United earned a free kick near the right corner after Mitoma held back Amad. Fernandes’ cross found Maguire, but his header went wide, and he was flagged offside.
As the half drew to a close, Pedro threatened on the edge of the United box, but a stellar defensive effort by Ugarte ensured the teams went into the break at 1-1.
The second half started with United on the offensive. Amad’s long-range strike in the 48th minute was blocked, and Brighton gained a free kick three minutes later after a foul by Kobbie Mainoo.
Despite Yasin Ayari slipping while taking it, the ball created chaos in the box, eventually landing with Pedro, who tucked it into the net. However, VAR intervened, ruling out the goal for a foul by Jan Paul van Hecke on Diogo Dalot. The score remained level.
On the hour mark, Mitoma restored Brighton’s lead, latching onto Minteh’s cross and beating Onana from close range.
Mazraoui lost his duel with Mitoma in the buildup, colliding with the post in the process. Ugarte received a yellow card for a foul during the play leading to the goal.
United responded with urgency. Fernandes fired a dangerous long-range free kick across the face of goal, but no one could connect.
In the 65th minute, manager Rúben Amorim introduced Toby Collyer and Alejandro Garnacho for Mainoo and Ugarte, seeking a more attacking approach. Amad delivered a precise cross to Zirkzee in the 74th minute, but the striker’s volley was blocked.
A minute later, Onana made a shocking error. Ayari sent in a soft cross, which Onana failed to handle, parrying it directly to Brighton substitute Georginho, who capitalized on the mistake to make it 3-1.
United pressed on, with Dalot’s cross earning a corner in the 82nd minute. Despite Amad’s delivery, Brighton’s defence held firm. Amorim brought on Rasmus Højlund and Antony in place of Zirkzee and Mazraoui, but the changes failed to inspire a comeback.
With eight minutes of added time, United launched desperate crosses into Brighton’s box, only to be met with resolute defending.
The final whistle blew, sealing United’s third consecutive home loss to Brighton, an unwelcome statistic for a club of their stature.
It was yet another afternoon to forget for United and their fans.
