Brighton 2-1 Man United
João Pedro’s header in the 95th minute secured a victory for Brighton & Hove Albion against Manchester United at the Amex Stadium ,earning them all three points. This win marks their fifth triumph in six head-to-head matches.
Both teams began the Premier League season with wins last weekend, although Brighton’s impressive 3-0 victory over Everton overshadowed United’s late success against Fulham. The hosts started the match stronger on the South Coast, with João Pedro’s relatively weak shot from outside the box being the first attempt from either side around the 10-minute mark. The Red Devils performed adequately but not exceptionally, and Amad Diallo should have capitalized on a superb cross from Diogo Dalot at the back post.
Brighton has had a busy summer, acquiring seven new players and potentially adding two more in the likes of Ferdi Kadıoğlu and Matt O’Reilly. However, it was one of their seasoned players who made the breakthrough after 31 minutes. A well-placed ball reached Kaoru Mitoma at the far post, and he managed to score with a low cross, thanks to former United player Danny Welbeck. Erik ten Hag’s team believed they had equalized shortly after, but Marcus Rashford was offside when he scored from close range on his second attempt.
For the remainder of the first half, United struggled to make an impact and were outplayed at the start of the second half as well. They were fortunate not to fall behind by two goals when Welbeck hit the crossbar with a header from a close distance. Eventually, though, the visitors showcased their talent and managed to level the score with approximately 30 minutes remaining. A clever pass from Noussair Mazraoui found Diallo, who skillfully maneuvered inside and scored with the help of a deflection off Jan Paul Van Hecke.
The two teams pressed forward in their quest for a winner, and the crucial moment of the game nearly arrived after an intense period of play. Brighton had an advantage in numbers in the attacking third, but Yankuba Minteh’s poor decision-making allowed United to launch a counterattack. However, even though substitute Joshua Zirkzee nodded Alejandro Garnacho’s shot into an open net, their goal was disallowed because the Netherlands player was in an offside position at the time – an unfortunate outcome for Ten Hag and his team, considering that Garnacho’s initial strike would have found the back of the net regardless.
Despite the game continuing in a similar fashion, it seemed unlikely that anyone would be able to score the winning goal. However, that changed in the 95th minute when Pedro headed in Adingra’s lofted pass without any opposition, causing the home crowd to erupt with joy. Two victories out of two matches is a perfect start for Brighton’s new manager, Fabian Hürzeler, while Ten Hag will be disappointed by his team’s inability to hold their ground in the final stages of the match.
