Brighton capitalised on a disastrous mistake from Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana to condemn their hosts to a fourth defeat in five Premier League home games and leave Ruben Amorim’s side rooted in the bottom half of the table.
The visitors were already leading thanks to goals from Yankuba Minteh and Kauro Mitoma when Onana came sliding out to collect a low Yasin Ayari cross.
It seemed an easy enough take but somehow Onana managed to grab the ball, then release it. Substitute Georginio Rutter could not believe his luck as he turned the ball into an empty net, with Onana left exasperated at his inexplicable failure.
It was hardly the way United’s players would have wanted to mark the death of legendary striker Denis Law, but they deserved nothing more.
With world darts champion and lifelong United fan Luke Littler watching on, Brighton struck after just five minutes as Mitoma scorched away before presenting Minteh with the inviting finish.
Then, after Bruno Fernandes had pulled United level with a 23rd-minute penalty, Minteh turned provider on the hour as he chipped a cross to the far post and Mitoma won a duel with Noussair Mazraoui to turn the ball into the net from less than a yard.
By that point, Brighton had already had a Joao Pedro effort ruled out by VAR because of a foul in the build-up on Diogo Dalot.
It was the Seagulls’ sixth win in seven meetings with United, while Manchester City are the only club to have emulated their achievement of winning three games on the trot at Old Trafford in the Premier League era.
While the result keeps Fabian Hurzeler’s team in touch with the contenders for European qualification, United’s three-game unbeaten run is at an end. They have now lost four of their last six league matches and are seven points adrift of 10th-placed Fulham and 10 ahead of the relegation places.
Another defeat for Amorim’s United
This was not a result or performance which typified the great Law.
The brilliance and entertainment for which the man described as “the best Scottish player of all time” by Sir Alex Ferguson before the game was famous for was sadly lacking, and there wasn’t much coming from the stands to help either.
Part of that was because United supporters do not know what to expect from their team from one minute to the next.
The ease with which they were opened up for Minteh’s opener, and the run from Mitoma that followed when he looked as though he was about to expose Mazraoui down the Brighton left, was a major concern. But then the midweek hero Amad Diallo and Joshua Zirkzee were both threatening presences further up the field,
The uncertainty was epitomised by a Harry Maguire clearance inside his own six-yard area, just as behind him goalkeeper Onana was getting set to collect the ball, presumably having not told the England man of his intentions.
As it turned out, it was a minor error compared to what followed.
Amorim has warned of major bumps in the road and when United last lost on home soil he said his team are in a relegation fight.
United have taken seven points from their last nine league games but despite such a shocking statistic there is nothing to suggest relegation is likely to be a reality because the sides below them are awful as well. However, it is difficult to see this group of players even being able to perform consistently well enough to secure a top-10 finish.
In recent days, Antony, introduced for the final six minutes here, and Tyrell Malacia, an unused substitute, have both been linked with moves away during the current transfer window. Marcus Rashford’s exit appears inevitable given his ‘forgotten man’ status. But that should be the very start.
Only the sheer impracticality of the situation would caution against getting rid of virtually the entirety of Amorim’s squad.
Brighton fluidity key to latest Old Trafford triumph
It was some time after the final whistle that the Brighton supporters remaining in the stadium sang ‘it’s happened again’. They didn’t even try the old favourite ‘Can we play you every week?’. However, they must look forward to the Manchester United fixtures almost as much as those against old rivals Crystal Palace.
Managers at the Amex come and go but they all find it quite easy to come up with a gameplan to beat this particular opponent.
On this occasion, it was fluidity and, in Mitoma’s case, desire.
Against his old club, forward Danny Welbeck showed up both Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund by dropping deep into spaces, taking home defenders with him, or pushing right on their shoulders.
This creates holes Brighton’s fluid attacking formation is able to exploit.
Ayari was able to surge straight through the middle of the pitch in the second half as the hosts, seemingly at a loss to stem the tide of Brighton attacks, virtually ushered him through.
It has not been an easy period for Hurzeler but the long run without a victory has been superseded by three away wins in the space of nine days, and Brighton are back dreaming of Europe again.
