Have United turned the corner?

Whisper it quietly, Manchester United supporters, but, perhaps, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has rediscovered the Midas touch that catapulted him to the permanent manager’s post, on a wave of free-flowing football and mass popularity, earlier this year.

On the day that all eyes were 40 miles across Lancashire on a self-styled title decider between United’s bitter old rivals, Solskjaer’s side swept to an entertaining and confident victory that moved them to within a point of the European places.

It was a victory far more comfortable than the scoreline suggested and the only minor criticism Solskjaer could level — aside from the failure once more to keep a clean sheet — was the number of chances his team spurned.

But, after scoring six times in their previous six home games, Solskjaer had challenged his payers to “fill their boots” when they had teams under pressure at Old Trafford before Thursday’s clash with Partizan Belgrade.

The response — six goals in two games over the next 72 hours — suggests that despite some desultory displays, and morale-sapping results, so far this season, United may have turned the corner.

“How that didn’t end up five, six, seven, we don’t know, the players don’t know,” said Solskjaer.

“It was exhilarating, entertaining and great to see that they enjoyed themselves. “If they don’t get confidence from this, I don’t know what to tell them.”

Fielding the youngest line-up put out by any team in the Premier League this season - 23 years, 350 days - United dominated almost from kick-off and could even afford a contender for miss of the season from their man of the match Marcus Rashford.

Brighton had lived dangerously over the 17 minutes that it took United to open the scoring before Fred found Anthony Martial who linked with Pereira for a shot which took an unkind deflection off Dale Stephens, wrong-footing Ryan on its way in.

United supporters were still celebrating that impressive start when they were handed double cause for joy two minutes later, from a deep free-kick that Fred floated into the Brighton area.

Harry Maguire rose powerfully, causing panic for Ryan and his defence, and with Brighton slow to react, Scott McTominay forced the ball over the line, via a final touch by Davy Propper.

Not even the inevitably drawn-out delay for a VAR check, over whether Maguire had handled or Ryan fouled in the build-up to the goal, could dilute the joy of home supporters.

It was a scintillating spell of football from a side that, before Thursday, had not scored two first-half goals at Old Trafford for nearly 10 months - since, coincidentally, a win over Brighton in mid-January.

And, more significantly, United were on their way to a fifth victory in six league and cup games, a run that has seen them advance in the Europa League and Carabao Cup and now have the top-five well within reach in the Premier League table.

“This was our best performance of the season,” added Solskjaer. “These are young boys, there are going to be ups and downs.

“But today they started off on the front foot, grew in confidence and then it was just a question of how many are we doing to get? That’s the feeling I got.”

Perhaps, just perhaps, reports of United’s season being effectively a dead rubber, and Solskjaer’s job status being in jeopardy, were premature.

Certainly, for a team in the midst of their worst start to a league season since 1986, this was mighty impressive stuff as Brighton were unable to cope with United’s pace and high-pressing game.

If Fred had been more fortunate with a 61st-minute strike that Ryan fumbled onto his bar to catch at the second attempt, the afternoon could have been far more comfortable.

As it was, there was brief worry for United on 64 minutes when Brighton halved arrears from a Pascal Gross corner, met by Dunk who headed in from six yards, despite the close attention of Maguire.

United’s response was swift and clinical, however, with the Reds restoring their two-goal cushion just two minutes later.

It came from a blistering counter-attack and a beautifully-weighted through ball from Fred which Martial took in his stride, brushing off Shane Duffy and rounding Ryan before pulling back for Rashford to convert.

Rashford would follow that, moments later, with as astonishing miss as he failed to find the back of an open net from six yards after fine work and an accurate cross from James.

Teenage full-back Brandon Williams, making his first ever league start, James and Rashford were all denied by Ryan and the only cause for concern for Solskjaer came in injury-time when McTominay limped off with an ankle injury.

MAN UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 6; Wan-Bissaka 6, Lindelof 6, Maguire 6, Williams 7 (Rojo 90); McTominay 7, Fred 8; James 7, Pereira 7 (Lingard 70, 6), Rashford 9 (Greenwood 90); Martial 8.

BRIGHTON (4-4-2): Ryan 6; Montoya 6 (March 45, 6), Dunk 6, Duffy 6, Burn 6; Alzate 6, Propper 6, Stephens 6, Trossard 6 (Gross 59, 6); Connolly 5 (Murray 45, 7), Maupay 6.

Referee: J Moss 7