For the first season since 1989–90, Manchester United lost three of its first five league games with a humiliating 3-1 Premier League defeat to Brighton on Saturday.
Despite having a strong start at Old Trafford, Danny Welbeck scored against his former team in the 20th minute while unmarked in the penalty box.
When Marcus Rashford brought the ball back to big-money signing Rasmus Hjlund, who was making his full debut, United came back strongly and thought they had equalized shortly before the interval. However, the ball was ruled to be out of play.
However, Brighton made the most of that VAR reprieve, scoring two excellent goals—one from Pascal Gross early in the second half and the other from Joo Pedro—that sent moans of disappointment throughout Old Trafford.
Substitute With 18 minutes remaining, Hannibal Mejbri did manage to score a goal for the hosts, but Brighton easily held on to move up to third place with 12 points from five games. United dropped six points to 12th place.
Assault allegations against Brazilian forward Antony and ongoing tensions between England winger Jadon Sancho and coach Erik ten Hag made for another turbulent week in Manchester; the team needed victories on the field to cheer up their fans.
They appeared poised to resume their winning ways with Hjlund looking energetic and Rashford pressing the opposition, but defensive mistakes cost them as Welbeck’s fourth goal against his old team put them back on the defensive.
In the first quarter, Rashford still appeared to have the best chance of tying the score when he struck the angle of the crossbar and post after one of his signature driving runs.
Only Steven Gerrard and Mohamed Salah have scored more goals at Old Trafford as a visiting player than Gross, who came close to scoring soon after halftime. Gross finished the game with four goals versus United.
Hojlund’s replacement by Anthony Martial was met with boos all around Old Trafford, but it was a Brighton substitution that put an end to the match when record-signing Pedro fired a fizzing goal into the goal.
The supremacy of Brighton was not threatened by Hannibal’s first goal for the team, and the visitors had further opportunities to increase their lead as they easily won.
Only Liverpool between 2000 and 2002 and Manchester City from 2013–14 were the only teams to win four straight Premier League games versus United. Brighton is now the only team to accomplish this feat.