Brighton 3-1 Man United (January 19, 2025) Match Analysis

Manchester United suffered a miserable 3-1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday after visiting winger Yankuba Minteh scored one goal and created another, with the hosts not helped by a screamer from goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter were also on the scoresheet in the second half for Brighton, who also had a Joao Pedro goal ruled out by VAR for a foul in the build-up.

Bruno Fernandes scored a penalty for United to level the score at 1-1 at half-time but, after Brighton took the lead for the second time, Onana spilled a routine shot from a low cross into the box , allowing Rutter to score. loose ball.

Brighton climb to ninth place with 34 points, four points behind the top four. United are 13th of 26 also in 22 games.

Brighton have won in six of their last seven league matches with United and in their last three visits to Old Trafford.

The teams were led by bagpipes in memory of club great Denis Law, who passed away this week, with a wreath laid at the center circle by former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

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Brighton led within five minutes as Mitoma beat the offside trap on the left following Carlos Baleba’s long ball and his pass across goal provided a simple finish for the unmarked Minteh.

United won a penalty midway through the first half when Brighton tried to play the ball out of defence, but goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen’s pass was poor and the ball fell to Joshua Zirkzee in the box.

Baleba put his arm on the striker’s shoulder, who fell to the ground and referee Peter Bankes pointed to the spot, with Fernandes having no problem heading home to level the score.

Brighton thought they were in front again seven minutes into the second half when United failed to clear a low free-kick into the area and Pedro finished, but a VAR check determined that Jan Paul van Hecke had kicked Diogo Dalot’s foot in the melee.

However, the visitors got a second on the hour mark when Mitoma stretched at the far post past United defender Noussair Mazraoui to collect an inviting cross from Minteh.

Brighton then scored a third thanks to Onana’s horrendous error to make the game safe and leave United dwelling on their 10th league defeat of the Championship campaign.