Brighton and Hove Albion 2
Manchester United 1
JOAO PEDRO HEADED a dramatic late winner as Fabian Hurzeler celebrated his first Premier League home game as Brighton boss with a thrilling 2-1 success over Manchester United.
Brazilian striker Pedro nodded home Simon Adingra’s cross five minutes in added time to compound United’s misery at a delirious Amex Stadium.
The visitors looked set to come from behind to win on the south coast after Amad Diallo cancelled out a first-half opener from former United forward Danny Welbeck.
But Joshua Zirkzee went from hero to zero by preventing team-mate Alejandro Garnacho from turning the game around.
The summer signing from Bologna, who last weekend scored on debut to earn a 1-0 success against Fulham, touched home his team-mate’s goal-bound finish on the line while in an offside position.
VAR duly intervened to disallow the 70th-minute effort and frustrate Erik ten Hag before Pedro rubbed salt into United’s wounds as 31-year-old German Hurzeler maintained his 100% start since replacing Roberto De Zerbi.
United ended their worst Premier League season with a 2-0 victory at this ground in May, which halted a run of four successive league defeats against the Seagulls.
Jadon Sancho was again conspicuous by his absence as manager Ten Hag stuck with an unchanged team, while Brighton boss Hurzeler named £40million record signing Georginio Rutter on his bench.
United winger Diallo wasted a golden chance by volleying wide when unmarked during an uneventful opening half an hour before Welbeck’s 32nd-minute breakthrough ignited the contest.
Pedro’s right-wing cross caused hesitancy in the away defence and Kaoru Mitoma swiftly sent the ball back across goal for the stretching Welbeck to turn home his sixth goal in 16 appearances against his boyhood club.
United had been relatively untroubled up to that point and appeared to have grabbed a quick-fire equaliser.
Marcus Rashford diverted home in unorthodox fashion with his heel after his initial header from Diallo’s centre was superbly kept out by Jason Steele, only for the celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag.
Ten Hag responded to a underwhelming first-half display by bringing on Netherlands forward Zirkzee in place of Mason Mount and pushing Bruno Fernandes out of the false nine role.
Despite the tactical switch, United were twice fortunate not to fall further behind.
Diogo Dalot was alert to hack clear close to the goal line after James Milner poked beyond Andre Onana before Welbeck headed against the crossbar following a free-kick.
The 20-time English champions capitalised on the let-offs to level with an hour played.
Diallo was set free down the right and, after cutting inside Jack Hinshelwood, he atoned for his first-half profligacy with a low finish which went in off sliding Seagulls centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke.
Zirkzee – the Old Trafford hero of eight days ago – then bizarrely cost his side a second goal after fellow substitute Garnacho looked to have capitalised on slick interplay involving Diallo and Fernandes by tapping into an unguarded net.
And there was worse to come for the stunned visitors side as Pedro was left unmarked to connect with Adingra’s centre at the death and give Brighton a second successive win under Hurzeler following last weekend’s 3-0 triumph at Everton.
Lads, what was funnier.
A. The Zirkzee offside?
B. The Brighton winner?
C. United bringing Antony on to score?
LoooooooL
@Sean O’Maolain: Im picking A B C
@Sean O’Maolain: D for DH wee Seanie. What’s even funnier is a sad Gunner like yourself laughing at a team that has actually won trophies the past few years.
@Jaffa: Its just banter jaffa
@Square: he doesn’t like Jaffacakes
@Jaffa: I do
@Square: hard not too lad!!
@Jaffa: ahhhhh Jaffa bud. Why u getting all upset? :-D u think a pityful FA cup will cover up the cracks of another 8th place finish? Loool.
Wont win anything with casemiro mcguire top 6 is there aim this season lol
@Square: won’t win anything with mcguire and casimiro, two cups in two years with both players says your wrong
@robbie Delaney: casemiro
@Square: my mistake but still proves your completely wrong with what your saying how bout doing your homework before you make a ridiculous comment
@robbie Delaney: Not ridiclous ye aint winning any league with them players average club
@Square: not winning any league is no what you first said, any fool can see this united team are not winning any league soon. Can say the same for Liverpool aswell though
@robbie Delaney: i said top 6 is there aim buddy lol
@Square: maguire**
@robbie Delaney: how do you lads only see two teams in the whole of football.
@robbie Delaney: not true, they’d probably win League One handy enough.
@robbie Delaney: so who has a better chance of winning the League…Utd or Liverpool. And who have won it in the last decade…take your time.
@damien leen: Could be worse i guess could be Everton
@damien leen: I would say in the 3 years neither of them. All these pool fans thinking it’s gonna be a bed of roses with slot in charge any word on ya signing a player
@robbie Delaney: don’t know one Liverpool fan who thinks that
Well done brighton well desreved
Nothing is certain in life but death, taxes and Man Utd lose to Brighton
Ten Haag with his new contract still clueless!!!
Thought Brighton were slightly the better team on the day, wasn’t a huge amount in it. Officials had a good game. Brighton look a pretty good side again, some exciting players. United still quite a ways off it for the standards the fans want. So far after a late winner last week and coming from behind to then lose the game late this week, it’s hard to see any progress. Early days though, to be fair
The fact that Utd still have Anthony in the roster says it all about them, the manager & the upper echeons. It is a laugh. Symbolism matters . They gave ETH a 2 year contract on the back of a fluke FA cup win(Coventry & Liverpool games were larceny). More grief coming for long suffering supporters. The putative great Ajax Team, that ETH built his reputation on, were besten by Spurs in the CL that year – is that the measure of greatness justifying his obsession to reunite these former Ajax players? Utd have no style, purpose, or leadership – mid table mediocrity at best this season.
@JJB: to be fair, what do you do with Antony? The fee paid was obviously farcical in the first place but then what? Either you work with him and try and get the best out of him or you sell him for a huge loss, and God knows who would buy him. It was a mistake to sign him, granted, but now that he’s there, I’m not sure what else can be done
@Michael Mullins: he is a useless footballer – period. Write it off and axe him for good. They should have also fired the guy who bought him and vow never to make such a silly mistake again. His (Anthony) continuing presence tells others you can swing the lead and no recrimination occurs. To me, he symbolises everything that is toxic about Man Utd in 2024 as does the “brain dead” manager. The latter is neither cerebral or charismatic. Utd are a reflection of him – boring & dull.
@JJB: fluke win is a bit harsh. They did beat some good teams to win it whether you like it or not and played well to beat City in the final. But away from that they were fairly poor all season
@JJB: I don’t rate Antony either but I can understand why he is still there. It’s not like he had much to do with today’s result. Maguire is in a similar situation.
Look at the array of managers United have had since Ferguson. Would you swap back to any of those? They all disappointed in their own way.
I’ve said it before, the issue at United is a cultural one. The club and fans had so much success that they can’t accept not winning things. That results in overspending, panic buying, panic hiring and firing etc because the fanbase turns on the club, among other things. If United as a whole had some patience, the club would probably be far better off than it currently is
@Michael Mullins: could they give him a job as groundsman or something???
@JJB: YeeHaw partner, gotta get that no good Anthony off the roster.
@Michael Mullins: I don’t expect continuing success. If you chart football history, each club’s dominance is episodic. The issue here is what standards you accept. It is clear Anthony is neither takented or committed. Just write if off and jettison. On ETH, he presided over an embarassing league campaign:it just isn’t good enough versus (and this is important) the wage bill. Also, anybody with a brain can see they have no discernible style of play. The FA cup can be an odd achievement for a mid tier team – that is what happened last year. I long for some style and identity – if you are losing do with some aplomb. With ETH at the tiller, I will be waiting a while! With Anthony in the squad, I will be both waiting and plagued at the same time.
@JJB: probably agree with you on most things there! Trouble is, it wasn’t really any better under anybody else. Stop gap signings have gotten in the way (Ronaldo, Cavani, Ibra, Varane, Casemiro, the list goes on) of developing a proper side. It’s just difficult when this is manager number 8 since Ferguson retired and in terms of developing a long term squad, he’s as good/bad as any of them
@Michael Mullins: fair points. I think he (ETH)is the worst of them all. Nothing as dangerous as a fool who thinks he is smart…..
@JJB: The lack of an effective attacking playing-style is what irks me the most about United post-Ferguson era. Van Gaal tried but didn’t have the quality needed. José & then Olé rarely used i as far as I could see. Ten Hag seems not too bothered about the lack of goals scored either – which is very concerning. I don’t mind if Utd don’t win trophies, feck it…even it takes the next decade as long the team are entertaining to watch. In a way am glad the big egos (in the forms of Pogba & Ronaldo) are gone. No player is bigger than the club!
Unfortunate not to get out of that game with a draw, a draw would have been a fair result but not many will win there this season.
As a United fan, I think we should never have sold Greenwood. Yes he has made indiscretions but we’ve made exceptions before. Giggs, Antony, Ronaldo….none of them are angels off the pitch. But we are United…football comes first and we previously swept issues like these under the carpet….with little fuss. We’ve been singing “20 times” for nearly 15 years now.
@Mick Joe: greenwood once suspended was never going to play for Utd again. Simple as that. Goofs occurred after he finished. Anthony been proven it was lies(on one of the accusations he wasn’t in the same country as her) and well the Ronaldo think was always a bit off(don’t think he should have been brought back the second time).
@Mick Joe: not a united fan, but after what happened, I’d never want Greenwood to play for the club I supported again
@Mick Joe: christ how desperate are utd fans that they would bring back that animal…how the so called mighty have fallen.
@damien leen: damien you know for a fact that the vast majority of man utd fans wouldn’t want greenwood near the place again so why are you regularly making an issue of united fans apparently wanting him back? It’s nonsense and you are using it just to wind people up here. Bad form lad.
@Brian Dunne: I expect nothing less from that damien leen fella he’s a snake
@Brian Dunne: Because there are plenty of UTD fans who have no issue with his behaviour and have openly declared he should be playing for Man Utd. Own your own supporters’ actions, rather than criticise fans of other clubs where he would be welcome….
Any sign of Ray Ridge saying he backed 2-1 Brighton at 40/1 an hour before kick off? Needs to keep that run of imaginary winning bets going sure.
@Patrick Kennedy: lol
LoL
@ Mick Joe. What an embarrassing comment. Greenwood should be playing for Prison fc along with Giggs and Antony for fraud pretending to be a footballer.
Didn’t see the game just the goals. Two soft goals to concede. Off side goal was unlucky but right decision. Just wondering If it hadn’t hit Zirkzic would it have counted or would he have been deemed interfering with play?
@Cormac: doubt it, he wasn’t impeding anyone or blocking the goalies view or anything.
Draw would have been fair result. Utd really unlucky not to have been ahead. Haven’t solved defensive issues to push for top four, at this stage anyway.
Thought it was strange that Maguire went off to be replaced by another centre half, unless he was injured.
Come in Ten Hagg your time is up. Rashford,Casimiro,Maguire awful I could go on. Out thought by a 31 year old novice manager.
United had the chances to win this, but that defending for the winner was non league at best. Ten Haag will slaughter them for that.
Let’s just try to think logically for a second.
Ten Haag starts Mount and he basically chases players on his own while the midfield drop off. So he signed a 70mil pound player on 250k a week to run around. Surely he could have picked a guy from u18s to do same job.
Then he takes off Bruno when he is finding space and picking passes and replaced him with McT (nothing against him he’s plays a completely different style)
Takes off Maguire (he didn’t have a great game but swapping CBs late in game is hardly match winning and it turned out to be match losing.
@Shane: good sum up. No pattern or clear thinking. This is because ETH is quite dim imo.
A god awful outfit.