Brilliant Brighton trounce Man United at Old Trafford
Brighton and Hove Albion's Danny Welbeck (right) celebrates with Kaoru Mitoma after scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA WireÂ
ERIK ten Hag’s early-season problems were added to by a familiar foe, as Brighton beat his Manchester United for a fourth time in the Premier League in the last 16 months.
Only mighty Manchester City and Liverpool have put together a four-match winning streak against the Reds in Premier League history, but United’s current problems meant that this latest setback was hardly a major shock.
Goals from former United star Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross and Joao Pedro inflicted a third defeat of the season on ten Hag.
And a clear sign of supporter unrest greeted his decision to take off debutant Ramsus Hjolund, replacing him with Anthony Martial on 64 minutes to a chorus of boos.
Welbeck struck after 20 minutes, a goal that undid a strong opening from the hosts but which also exposed United’s weaknesses in defence.
The former Old Trafford favourite started the move with a pass wide to Simon Adingra and was there to finish from nine yards after Adam Lallana’s brilliant dummy let the ball run.
After the off-field trials and tribulations that have accompanied United’s start to the season, it was the last thing they needed, especially given their decent opening to the contest.
And United thought they had equalised just before the interval when Marcus Rashford made it to the Brighton by-line past Jan Paul van Hecke and crossed for debutant Rasmus Hjolund to convert from close range.
But a lengthy VAR check showed that the ball had gone out of play before Rashford could lay on the assist.
That decision proved all the more costly when Brighton doubled their lead just eight minutes into the second half with a goal that, just like the first, exposed alarming flaws in the home defence.
A pass from Gross found Kaoru Mitoma whose driving run ended with Tariq Lamptey returning the ball to the fast-arriving Gross. As United’s defenders stood rooted, Gross cleverly checked, putting Lisandro Martinez out of the game, and drilled the ball in from 15 yards.
Gross now has 28 career Premier League goals, seven of them against United.
It was no more than Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi deserved, for his superb game plan which involved resting Billy Gilmour and Evan Ferguson, ahead of his club’s first-ever European tie on Thursday.
And a Brighton starting line-up, which had cost around ÂŁ17 million to assemble, certainly lived dangerously at times.
After nine minutes, a superb attack ended with Rashford’s cross just eluding Hjolund, unmarked in front of goal, and the lively Rashford then saw a shot deflect off Veltman and strike the bar.
United were pushing for a way back into the game by the time substitute Pedro made it 3-0 on 71 minutes, receiving a pass from Lamptey and finishing accurately from the edge of the area.
United’s own sub Hannibal Mejbri also got in on the scoring, briefly offering his side hope of a fightback when he scored his first goal for the club, with a fine solo finish from 20 yards, just two minutes later.
But Mitoma, Ansu Fati and Ferguson, on for the last six minutes, could all have added further goals before the final whistle ended United’s misery.
Onana 5; Dalot 4, Lindelof 4, Martinez 5 (Wan-Bissaka 85), Reguilon 6 (Garnacho 84); Casemiro 5 (Mejbri 64, 7); McTominay 6 (Pellistri 85), Eriksen 5; Fernandes 6; Hjolund 7 (Martial 64, 6), Rashford 8.Â
Bayindir, Maguire, Evans, Gore.
Steele 6; Veltman 6, van Hecke 6, Dunk 7, Lamptey 8 (Milner 76, 6); Gross 7, Dahoud 7 (Gilmour 76, 6); Adingra 6 (Ferguson 84), Lallana 7 (Fati 64, 7), Mitoma 9; Welbeck 7 (Pedro 64, 7).Â
Verbruggen, Julio, Webster, Baleba.
J Gillett 7 Ends
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