Brighton & Hove Albion 2-3 Manchester United
Well that was Premier League drama!
Five goals, two penalties, one penalty overturned, two goals disallowed and the woodwork struck on no fewer than five occasions (by the losing side!).
On saying that, long-time fans of Manchester United would expect nothing less than to be put through the emotional ringer by their team!
Ultimately, the match was decided by one of their trademark late shows and Bruno Fernandes who was the coolest man on the pitch from the penalty spot in the 100thminute of the game.
Battling Brightondidn’t deserve to lose and didn’t even have time to restart play before referee Chris Kavanagh sounded his final whistle – he had actually already signalled for full-time just before consulting VAR for the last-gasp penalty decision.
With that, United had won as expected with the SBOTOP Premier League betting odds.
However, lacking a proper preseason, the rustiness showed and they will need to do an awful lot better than this over the eight months which lie ahead in a congested campaign.
Highlights of the game
As far as Premier League highlights are concerned, where do you start.
Well, luckless Brighton will point to the eighth minute, the first of five (FIVE!) times during the match in which they hit the woodwork.
It was Belgium international Leandro Trossardwho fired a smart shot towards goal from the edge of the box and rattled with the post with David De Gea beaten before the same player clipped the outside of thee post shortly afterwards.
When Adam Webster looped a header against the top of the bar on the half hour, the Seagulls may have been forgiven for thinking it wasn’t their day, even if they breathed a sight of relief when young Mason Greenwood saw a strike ruled out – rightly – when a team-mate was deemed offside moments later.
Brighton finally had the lead their play merited shortly afterwards as exciting youngster Tariq Lamptey was clipped by Fernandes and Neal Maupay cleverly dinked the spot-kick home.
United needed a quick reaction and got one when Fernandes floated a dangerous ball into the box, Nemanja Matic nudged it back across goal and skipper Harry Maguire forced home an equaliser which took a final touch off Lewis Dunk.
VAR proved its worth twice in quick succession early in the second half when the hosts were awarded a spot-kick, only for video evidence to show Brighton had committed the offence, and then was also correct in ruling out a Marcus Rashford goal.
The goal of the game followed shortly afterwards though as United – and Rashford – briefly found their mojo.
Fernandes’ fine ball found the talented young Englishman – proving influential both on and off the pitch – but he still had plenty to do taking the ball into the box and sending home defenders inside out before placing the ball past Mat Ryan.
After Solly March became the latest home player to rattle the post with a low, left-footed effort on the hour and Trossard smashed a shot against the bar – the third time he had struck the woodwork and the fifth for Brighton –it was hard to recall a side being more unfortunate.
De Gea produced a superb stop to deny Trossard from close range and that seemed that, yet Brighton are nothing if not persistent and deserved their equaliser in the sixth minute of stoppage time when March was left unmarked to flick home an equaliser.
It was the very least Brighton deserved but, incredibly, it wasn’t enough.
Within a minute March headed a Maguire header off the line but, as Kavangh blew for full-time, the United captain urged the official to look at his monitor.
He did, VAR ruled correctly that the header had been initially handled by Maupay and Fernandes did the rest.
His goal, timed at 99 minutes 45 seconds, was the latest scored in the Premier League since Juan Mata’s strike for Chelsea against Norwich in August 2011.
By quirk of fate, these two get to do it all again on Wednesday, when they meet in a League Cup fourth-round tie. Surely, we can’t expect a repeat of this thriller?
Key statistics
Brighton hit the woodwork five times in this game, the most team any team has done in a single Premier League game since Opta started recording this data (2003-04).
Trossard is the first player to hit the woodwork three times in a Premier League match since Cristiano Ronaldo v Newcastle United in October 2006.
Fernandes has been directly involved in a goal in eight of his eight Premier League away appearances (seven goals, three assists).
There were just 194 seconds between the first two goals of the game
United have given away a penalty in consecutive Premier League games for the first time since March 2009; it’s the first time the Red Devils have conceded one in both of their first two games to a Premier League campaign.
They have benefited from 69 own goals in the Premier League; six more than any other side.
Since his Premier League debut in August 2017, Dunk has scored five own goals in the competition, at least two more than any other player.
This was United’s fourth successive victory against the Seagulls.
The Seagulls have never won more than one of their opening three fixtures in a top-flight campaign, but neither have they lost both of their first two home matches in a season at that level.
They have only earned one point from the past five Premier League fixtures at the Amex Stadium, while their only top-flight home win in 10 attempts this year came against Arsenal in June.
Brighton had been unbeaten in all 11 Premier League fixtures in which Maupayhad scored until today.
United have won five successive Premier League away matches by an aggregate score of 13-2.
The Red Devils are unbeaten in eight Premier League away matches since a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool in January.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Graham Potter were opposition players when Manchester United were beaten 6-3 by Southampton at The Dell in the Premier League in October 1996. They both came on as a substitute in that game.
What’s next?
This match is repeated in midweek as the sides clash again at the Amex Stadium, this time in the League Cup.
Brighton then go to Everton next Saturday (October 3) in the Premier League, while United host Spurs the following day.
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