After an opening day win for United against Fulham, a trip to a new look Brighton awaits, with their high profile managerial change being a potential question mark on what to expect. United continued to opt with their striker-less system, however it was a former United forward who got the hosts off the mark.

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Teams

United went with the same XI that started the season, with Ten Hag keen to stick with Fernandes as the false 9 it seems. However with the team level, changes were made that could be questioned, as the whole front line was rotated, Maguire withdrawn for De Ligt and the eventual defeat suggests these wholesale changes might be needed at the early part of the season, but certainly didn’t help the team.

For Brighton, they started with the blend of experience and younger stars, with Milner and Welbeck both playing 70+ minutes. The former United man Welbeck proved to be a thorn in the side of his former club, bagging the opening goal and continuing to be a threat throughout.

Brighton & Hove Albion: Steele, Hinshelwood, Dunk, van Hecke, Veltman, Gilmour (Ayari 90′), Milner (Baleba 73′), Mitoma (Adingra 90′), Joao Pedro, Minteh (Rutter 90′), Welbeck (Enciso 79′)

Subs: Rushworth, Webster, Julio, Lamptey

Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Martinez, Maguire (De Ligt 79′), Mazraoui, Mainoo, Casemiro, Rashford (Garnacho 65′), Mount (Zirkzee 46′), Amad (Antony 90′), Fernandes (McTominay 79′)

Subs: Bayindir, Evans, Eriksen, Collyer

Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Manchester United

Under overcast skies at the Amex Stadium, the hosts took the lead in the 32nd minute when Danny Welbeck slotted home from close range after a knock-down from a cross into the six-yard box. It was a neat finish, and a special moment for Welbeck, who scored the opener against his former club. Heading into half-time, Brighton held a well-deserved 1–0 lead.

After the break, Amad Diallo brought Manchester United level just past the hour mark, cutting inside from the right and unleashing a low shot that deflected in off a Brighton defender. For a time it seemed momentum had swung in United’s favour, they even thought they had taken the lead, only to see a goal controversially ruled out after a VAR check involving an offside touch.

Yet as the match looked destined for a draw, drama struck deep into stoppage time. A cross floated in from substitute Simon Adingra found João Pedro unmarked at the far post, and with composure the Brazilian nodded the ball home in the 95th minute, sending the home crowd into raptures and sealing a dramatic 2–1 win. For Brighton it extended a perfect start to the season under their new manager; for United, a cruel late blow and yet another heartbreak away from home.

Talking Points

When the final whistle blew at the American Express Stadium, it was a gut-punch for Manchester United, a 2–1 defeat snatched from them deep into stoppage time. After pulling level through Amad Diallo’s second-half strike, United looked to have clawed back a point; they even thought they had surged into the lead when a goal bound chance found the net, only for it to be chalked off after a tight offside call. But in the fifth minute of added time, United’s defence failed to deal with a cross and allowed João Pedro to ghost unmarked to the far post, he buried a header to break United hearts. The late collapse will leave fans, players and management asking serious questions about game management and defensive concentration in dying moments.

Then there was the bittersweet twist involving Danny Welbeck. Once a youngster in United’s academy, now a veteran forward, he opened the scoring for Brighton & Hove Albion in the 32nd minute, calmly finishing off a cross to give the hosts the lead. It was a quiet statement of how football sometimes brings full circles: a former United man, among the first to strike against them in this game. Welbeck’s goal was not just another strike, it was a reminder for United that former loyalties mean nothing come match day, and that experience sometimes exacts a cruel return.

With that loss now in the rear-view, United must kick on quickly: up next comes Liverpool, a fixture that demands sharp focus, creativity, and defensive solidity. There can be no more dropped points through sloppy defending or last-minute lapses. If United want to salvage credibility early in the season, they need to respond, fast, and with clarity. The mistakes from Brighton must serve as a warning: big matches require attention from start to final whistle.