Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for Man Utd ....
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after his side concedes a third goal during the Premier League match at the AMEX Stadium.
MANCHESTER United’s dismal campaign cannot end soon enough. A woeful display was punished by an exuberant Brighton. Ralf Rangnick’s side had cause to be grateful the margin of victory was not even greater and will now end the season with the club’s lowest ever Premier League points tally.
Trailing to Moises Caicedo’s early goal, United remained second best throughout with three goals early in the second half, from Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard confirming Brighton’s dominance.
Rangnick and his players looked shell-shocked after a shocking performance that distilled the problems that have been evident at Old Trafford for several months. Defensively fragile and lacking any kind of attacking threat, this was a particularly painful loss in a season of disappointments.
The tone was set in the opening five minutes as United struggled to get out of their own half while Brighton showed no shortage of imagination as they immediately set about probing the unconvincing visitor’s defence for weakness.
Graham Potter’s side didn’t have to wait long before their efforts were rewarded. A cross from the left was only half cleared by a poor Alex Telles header and while the United left-back did at least manage to block Pascal Gross’s shot, team-mate Scott McTominay was too slow in his efforts to close down Caicedo who sent a low drive through the legs of Victor Lindelof and inside David De Gea’s right hand post.
United failed to respond with a sliced effort from Nemanja Matic summing up their attacking efforts. Instead of forcing their way back onto level terms before the break when first McTominay and then Raphael Varane gifted Albion possession in dangerous areas and were relieved their errors went unpunished. And a dismal first period for the visitors was summed up when a frustrated Cristiano Ronaldo was booked for a challenge on Lewis Dunk.
Rangnick attempted to spark life into his team by introducing Edison Cavani and Fred but to little effect. Within four minutes of the restart Brighton had doubled their lead and Leandro Trossard had met Alexis Mac Allister’s deep cross and pulled the ball back for Cucurella who lashed in a rising shot at the near post.
Again, there was little response from Rangnick’s side as Brighton, now brimming with confidence, dominated the game before scoring twice in two minutes to heap more misery on Rangnick and his players. And on both occasions, United were undone with alarming ease A long clearance from Robert Sanchez, the home keeper, found Cucurella high up the pitch on the left. The ball was worked to Gross via Trossard before the German easily evaded a weak challenge from Varane before finishing across De Gea in the 57th minute. Then Danny Welbeck lifted a cross into the six-yard area where Diogo Dalot hooked clearance struck the chest of Trossard and rebounded in.
It would have been five but for a superb covering tackle by Dalot
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