Luckless Brighton denied by woodwork five times and a 100th minute Manchester United penalty

Daniel Zeqiri
·15-min read
Brighton and Hove Albion v Manchester United,Premier League - Richard Pelham
Brighton and Hove Albion v Manchester United,Premier League - Richard Pelham

01:30 PM

FT: Brighton 2 Manchester United 3

That was a bizarre and surreal game. United have got out of jail massively with this win, Brighton were comfortably the better team but threw all their good work away with Maupay's silly decision to raise his hand. 

01:29 PM

Fernandes scores!

Terrific penalty into the top right corner. And that is the last kick of the game. 

01:27 PM

PENALTY UNITED!

Reverses his original decision and United have a chance to steal three points in the 98th minute. Fernandes to take. 

01:26 PM

MORE DRAMA!

United go down the other end and win a corner and Maupay's handled after Maguire headed towards goal. Referee Kavanagh had already blown the whistle but he is on his way to look at the monitor.....

01:24 PM

GOOOOOOAAAALLL! Brighton have their equaliser

That is so richly deserved. Yet again, it's a cross from the right to the back most and yet again March is free. Fernandes just stands watching and he heads in from just a few yards. 

01:22 PM

92 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

You always get one chance and that was Brighton's...the ball feel to Trossard six yards from goal and his toe-poke is saved by De Gea. That was a hugely important stop. 

01:20 PM

90 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

Five minutes of stoppage time for Brighton to get an equaliser. They have a corner. 

01:18 PM

89 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

Brighton had another set-piece but they concede a foul and United can release the pressure. Van de Beek is introduced for Martial. 

01:16 PM

87 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

United appealing for offside but Brighton have a corner. The ball flicks off the top of Dunk's head and goes behind for a goal kick - although replays show it came off Martial's head. Van de Beek on the way for United. 

01:14 PM

85 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

Same pattern to Brighton's attack: they build down the right and they cross to the back post where March is free but he volleys over the bar. 

01:11 PM

82 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

Bailly about come on for Greenwood as Solskjaer looks to batten down the hatches. Nice work from Rashford to win a free-kick on the halfway line. 

01:08 PM

79 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

Brighton are sustaining attacks and keeping Manchester United under pressure. This time it's March free down the left and his shot deflects over for a corner. Delivery is poor and Fernandes heads clear. 

01:05 PM

76 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

Would you believe it? Trossard hits the woodwork again! Jahanbakhsh played him in and from a tight-ish angle down the left he lashed a shot against the bar. United get out of jail again. 

01:04 PM

75 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

Brighton putting bodies on the line to block shots from Rashford and Martial. You sense Brighton have a second goal in them but avoiding conceding on on the break might be more of a challenge.

01:02 PM

73 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

Gross and Jahanbakhsh about to come on for Brighton. Connolly gets them down the pitch with a strong run in behind down the left channel. Good defending by Shaw on the other flank and he leads United away on the counter and wins a foul. 

01:00 PM

70 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

Crucial intervention from White, just getting a toe to the ball when Martial was about to pull the trigger in the area. Could easily have been a penalty. 

12:56 PM

67 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

Good work rate from Brighton to hunt down Martial and win the ball back. Trossard has caused United all manner of problems and is heavily involved again as Brighton get on the attack. 

Maupay does really well to dribble into the box and get a shot away but it was straight at De Gea. 

12:53 PM

65 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

That's Paul Pogba's race run, he is replaced by Fred. Pogba has been well below par today but is still searching for full match sharpness. 

12:51 PM

63 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

Fred is about to come on for United to try and provide more solidity. March in acres of space down the left and his blocked cross wins Brighton a corner. 

12:49 PM

60 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

That was wonderful football from Brighton and once again they hit the post! White and Lamptey combining down the right, they drew the United defence over to one side and then switched it over the March on the left who hit the inside of the post with a left foot shot. 

12:48 PM

Rashford's goal

12:47 PM

57 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 2

More penalty/Var drama as Connolly dribbles round Maguire and goes down under pressure from the Manchester United defender. Brighton now have it all to do despite playing well. 

12:44 PM

GOOOOAAAALL! Sensational finish from Rashford

Rashford released down the left by Fernandes and squares up White. He chops inside him once and looked set to pull the trigger with his right foots, but then he threw in another dummy and chopped back to the left. Brighton defenders strewn everywhere and his shot deflected in off Dunk. 

12:43 PM

54 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 1

Pogba puts United under pressure with two loose passes, but Fernandes has put Rashford through on the counter-attack....

12:41 PM

51 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 1

A brief scare the back for Brighton as Shaw's low cross almost makes its way to Rashford. Alzate, who has been excellent gets Brighton the move again. 

Rashford does then connect with a low cross and turns the ball home but it is chalked off for offside after a VAR check. 

12:38 PM

49 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 1

Man Utd need to make sure that becomes a turning point in the game because they have been second best across the pitch. 

12:37 PM

No penalty!

The referee overturns his original decision, Connolly looked like he initiated the contact. 

12:36 PM

Penalty Brighton!

Wow, what a start to the half fro Brighton. There was not much in that one - Connolly got in front of Pogba and went down under some pressure from the midfielder but there was not much contact. The referee is having a look at the monitor....

12:34 PM

We're back under way

Man Utd need to improve on their first-half showing. 

12:21 PM

Maupay's penalty

12:21 PM

HT: Brighton 1 Man Utd 1

Brighton much the better side in general play but pegged back by a set-piece. 

12:15 PM

GOOOAAAALLL! United equalise

Cracking in-swinging delivery from Fernandes which is met by Matic at the back post. He knew he couldn't score from a tight angle and stabbed the ball across goal and the ball is turned home. Maguire celebrated but it looks like a Dunk own goal. 

12:14 PM

42 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 0

Better from Luke Shaw who wins a free-kick in a dangerous spot after a surging run down the left. Fernandes to whip it in...

12:12 PM

40 minutes: Brighton 1 Man Utd 0

This is a deserved lead for Brighton and United have more problems after Matic is booked for catching Connolly with an arm to the face. 

12:11 PM

Maupay scores with a Panenka!

That is delicious, although De Gea does not look best pleased with Maupay's impudence. 

12:10 PM

PENALTY BRIGHTON!

Lallana feeds a pass into Lamptey and he won the race with Fernandes and got a touch on the ball before the Manchester United midfielder caught him from behind. Maupay to take. 

12:07 PM

35 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

Brighton put it in the mixer from successive set-pieces and once again Webster looks a threat. Nice from Pogba to take the ball under pressure and carry the ball forward. Wins a foul from Lallana in the United half. 

12:04 PM

33 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

Pogba caught out near the edge of his own box. There has been a lot made of his partnership and Fernandes, but one thing that stands out is they are both very high risk, high reward players. It can look messy when those risks don't come off. 

Much better from United as Martial, Rashford and Greenwood combine but the flag goes up for offside after Greenwood found the back of the net. 

12:01 PM

29 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

Brighton hit the woodwork again! Webster's looping header after Maupay stood a cross up to the back post. De Gea was scrambling and may well have got fingertips to it. Brighton the better team unquestionably. 

11:58 AM

26 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

No signs off life from United as Rashford gets his first touches of the ball in what seems like forever. Pogba penalised for a late tackle of Maupay. United do have the chance to swing the ball in after Wan-Bissaka is fouled on the right. 

11:55 AM

23 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

Brighton have been really cohesive and fluent in possession, just like they were against Chelsea, but are yet to find an opening goal. Maupay gets Matic one-on-one and wins a corner. De Gea just about punches and Connolly flashes a shot across goa. 

11:52 AM

20 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

Wonderful cross whipped in from the left by Fernandes, but it just evaded the head of Antony Martial. Any touch either from Martial or the defender and that would have been the opening goal. 

Up the other end, Trossard finds more space between the lines and he strikes his low-shot well across De Gea and it clips the foot of the post. The Belgian has now hit both posts in the first 20 minutes. 

11:49 AM

17 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

Half a chance for United, especially at the feet of Greenwood. Lamptey with a loose ball after a throw-in in Brighton's right-back area, and Greenwood dragged his shot across goal with his left foot. Lovely move from Brighton, with March overlapping down the left, and his cross flicks off Linelof's heel straight at De Gea. 

11:46 AM

15 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

Nice dribble from Lamptey in a central area but United deal with the free-kick that comes from him winning a foul. This time it's Luke Shaw's turn to pass to a blue shirt. United are struggling for rhythm. 

11:43 AM

12 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

Fernandes' radar has been way off so far. Keps mis-placing passes and the last one set off a Brighton counter but Lindelof did well to slow Maupay down and block his shot. It was two-on-two back there. 

11:40 AM

9 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

Connolly and Maupay are causing a few problems with diagonal runs down the side of Maguire and Lindelof. The home side will be pleased with how the game is panning out, they are keeping the ball well. 

United worked it well to Fernandes there though, too much space between the Brighton lines, but Greenwood goes goes down weakly looking for a free-kick.

Brighton get back on the attack and Trossard cracks a left-footed shot off the post form the edge of the area!

11:37 AM

6 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

A loose ball from Maupay gifts United the chance to counter-attack but Fernandes fails to pick the right pass and Brighton have the ball back. Trossard has picked up some promising positions in the early minutes.

11:35 AM

4 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

Brighton are not showing much interest in pressing United, instead dropping into their defensive shell and defending deep. Connolly and Maupay do well to make the most of a 50:50 long ball and Brighton have a corner after a Maupay pass runs off Lindelof.

They try one of the training ground and take it short but the cross is cut out. 

11:33 AM

2 minutes: Brighton 0 Man Utd 0

Strong challenge from Maguire on Maupay which will do him a world of good. The visitors have started brightly and the opening exchanges are in Brighton's half. Pogba looks for Rashford over the top with a lofted pass but Dunk reads it well and intercepts. 

11:31 AM

KICK OFF!

United, who have lost their last two visits to Brighton, get us started. 

11:27 AM

Players are on their way out

United started horrendously last week against Palace. They need to show more sharpness and authority today. 

11:26 AM

Potter speaks

It was a nice result and performance against Newcastle. We need to start again today against a top team and that is the challenge. The boys are looking forward to it, pitching ourselves against one of the best team in the league.We have played a lot of the top teams post lockdown and we had had draws but the challenge is to try and win today. The past is the past, we need to focus on the now.

11:13 AM

Can United tighten up?

Brighton play with a strong focus on getting players between the lines, and United's defensive distances need to be much smaller than they were against Palace. Maguire and Lindelof have a tendency to drop off to make up for their lack of pace, but that just makes the defensive jobs of their midfielders so much harder. Can Matic cover the ground?

11:08 AM

Will be interesting to compare Lamptey and AWB

10:54 AM

That's a strong Manchester United team

Probably their first-choice front five with Pogba, Fernandes, Greenwood, Rashford and Martial. Brighton are committed to building play in measured fashion from the back, but they need to be so careful when the ball turns overs. 

10:33 AM

Brighton team: Maupay and Connolly start

10:32 AM

Manchester United team: Lindelof and Maguire paired again

10:29 AM

Defensive reshuffle for United?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is ready to give Eric Bailly the chance to prove he should be Harry Maguire’s centre-half partner this season as the Manchester United manager warned there could be no more “sloppy” defending.

Bailly impressed alongside captain Maguire in Tuesday’s 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Luton Town and the Ivory Coast defender is hoping to keep his place for today's trip to Brighton on Saturday at Victor Lindelof’s expense.

Lindelof has had an underwhelming past 12 months at United and his struggles continued during a calamitous showing in last Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace, when the Swede was culpable in all three goals as Solskjaer’s side began the season on the back foot.

Bailly’s Old Trafford career has been plagued by injury and disciplinary issues, but Solskjaer has opened the door for the 26-year-old to dislodge Lindelof and nail down a regular starting place if he can stay fit.

“Eric is fit again now, which is a big bonus and a big plus for us, and I’m looking forward to seeing him develop and playing more games this season because we’ve been waiting for him to first be fit and then playing more regularly,” the United manager said.

“When you find a team that gels together, it’s easier to keep that team for a while. We saw after restart… that was the team that found their feet and form. I am not going to take anything away from any individual to stake a claim and be a regular.

“It could be a partnership of any two strikers, any two midfielders, any two centre-backs, wingers, we need to get some consistency in their performances.”

Brighton were impressive in defeat against Chelsea and took Newcastle apart last time out. Tariq Lamptey has been outstanding at right wing-back. 

Full team news on the way shortly. 

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