Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim may have achieved his first consecutive wins in domestic competitions, but their 3-1 victory over Southampton on Thursday night was far from flawless. Amorim admitted that his team’s performance was subpar as they trailed until the 82nd minute. However, an inspired hat-trick from Amad Diallo turned the tide, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and putting an end to their three-match losing streak at Old Trafford.
The South coast opponents will visit again on Sunday, but recent encounters with Brighton have often ended in disappointment. United have suffered five defeats in their last six league matches against Brighton, with only one victory. This includes both matches played at Old Trafford, putting them at risk of losing three consecutive home games against the same opponent for only the third time in their Premier League history.
Both previous encounters occurred against Manchester City, but Brighton will feel confident about joining that list after their 2-0 victory over Ipswich on Thursday evening. This win marked the end of their eight-match winless streak in the Premier League, which dated back to November (D6, L2), propelling the Seagulls into the top half of the table and within reach of European qualification.
Fabian Hürzeler’s team will be pleased to make another visit here, as they have earned 16 of their 31 points this season on the road, avoiding defeat in each of their last four away league matches (W1, D3). Interestingly, this will be the sixth occasion that they face United while being positioned higher than them in the standings, instilling a sense of belief among the travelling fans that they can improve on their 47% win rate against the Red Devils in the Premier League – a record unmatched by any other team in the division’s history.
Players to keep an eye on: Manchester United has not managed to score a goal before halftime in any of their last eight head-to-head matches in the Premier League. However, this situation suits Amad, who recently scored a hat-trick during the midweek game, as all nine of his goals this season have come in the second half. Danny Welbeck, a former Manchester United player, has scored six times against his old team. After scoring the first goal in their previous encounter (which ended in a 2-1 win for Brighton), he is now aiming to become only the second Brighton player to score both home and away against United in a single season.
Impressive record: None of the 15 Premier League matches between these two teams have ended in a draw. Manchester United has won eight times and lost seven times. Only the match between Manchester United and Wigan has been played more frequently in the competition without resulting in a draw (16 matches).
