It doesn’t help much to win for the bottom teams in the table when you as easily as Manchester United tonight give away three points at home at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have lost – again! – tonight’s loss to Brighton will be the 10th loss out of 22 Premier League games this season. Manchester United fans have reacted on social media after their dismal defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion.
The world’s second most expensive squad will have to deliver better than this. – The downturn for Manchester United will be dramatic almost no matter what happens in the future. Now that it is 99.9% certain that there will be no games in the Champions League, it must be cut even more sharply than planned, otherwise the Premier League and Uefa’s sustainability rules will be violated. Transfer stoppages, points deductions and even forced relegation could be the result.
Already after five minutes, the first goal came against the hosts. Yankuba Minteh a free pass in front of goal where he easily made it 0-1. The origin of the goal was a long ball that slid easily in behind United’s back line.
Our impression was that the Manchester United players still don’t know how to play a full three months after Ruben Amorim took over as manager.
“Shocking defensive play,” wrote The Times journalist Paul Hirst.
A few minutes later, Manchester United equalized. Joshua Zirkzee was fouled, whereupon the referee pointed to the penalty mark. Captain Bruno Fernandes stepped forward and rolled in the equaliser.
The result stood until halftime.
Ever since Manchester United sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, we have said it was a mistake to sack him. “The results afterwards have more than proven us right, but now it’s too late to call and ask him to come back.
At the start of the second half, Brighton looked to take the lead when a failed free kick by Yasin Ayari wreaked havoc in Manchester United’s sixteen-yard box, after which the ball ended up in the feet of João Pedro who found the net. But after a VAR review, the direct hit was ruled out as Diogo Dalot had been kicked down in the same corner.
But in the 60th minute, André Onana narrowly missed.
The aforementioned Ayari was behind the build-up to the attack that ended with a cross to Kaoru Mitoma who headed in 1-2 at the far post.
“Well deserved. Brighton have been the better team,” Jamie O’Hara said on Sky Sports.
With just over fifteen minutes left to play, they increased the lead after a huge mistake by André Onana. The Manchester United goalkeeper lined up to catch a long cross, but apparently unruly, he released the ball – whereupon Georginio Rutter was able to put it into the open cage.
1-3.
“Horrible effort by Onana. Rutter was invited to that goal,” wrote Manchester Evening News journalist Tyrone Marshall.
Ex-striker Dion Dublin on BBC:
- A terrible mistake by Onana. He does not want to see the replay. He had no players around him. There was no threat! Just take the ball. Oh my God!
Brighton eventually won 3-1 and thanks to that they move up to ninth place in the Premier League table.
United fans have reacted on social media and discussed the performance of defender Noussair Mazraoui. Fans have been left rather confused as the Moroccan was praised during Erik ten Hag’s time as manager, but his good form seems to have evaporated under Amorim.
One fan said: “What has happened to Mazraoui since ten Hag left?”
Another tweeted: “Mazraoui under Ten Hag is different to Mazraoui under Amorim”.
A third fan added: “The worst game I’ve seen Mazraoui have.”
Someone else wrote: “Mazraoui hasn’t been good since Ten Hag left”
A fifth commented: “Second game in a row where Mazraoui has been absolutely terrible.”
Another fan said, “Mazraoui has been s**t since Armorim came in…”
Mazraoui was taken off in the 84th minute, replaced by Brazilian winger Antony.
Speaking about Mitoma’s goal on BBC Radio 5 Live, former United star Dion Dublin said: “The ball flowed in and it’s a lovely ball. An in-swinger, the desire from Kaoru Mitoma at the second post is incredible.
“Mitoma forces himself in front of Noussair Mazraoui – what a good finish that is.”
As a result of the defeat, United are in 13th place in the Premier League table and will return to action on Thursday night when they host Rangers in the Europa League.
