Brighton delivered a decisive 3-1 victory over Manchester United, exposing the home team’s defensive weaknesses and deepening their woes under manager Ruben Amorim.
The match took place on an emotional day at Old Trafford, where tributes were paid to legendary striker Denis Law, who passed away at age 84.
Manchester United hoped to honor Law’s legacy with a spirited performance, but instead, their frailties were laid bare.
The defeat marked their sixth loss in 11 league games since Amorim took over from Erik ten Hag, leaving the team stranded in 13th place on the Premier League table.
Although 10 points clear of the relegation zone, the Red Devils showed little sign of improvement, raising concerns about their ability to avoid a survival battle.
Brighton opened the scoring early, with Yankuba Minteh finding the net just five minutes into the game.
A defensive lapse allowed Carlos Baleba to send a long pass to Kaoru Mitoma, who set up Minteh for a simple finish.
United managed to equalize in the 23rd minute through a Bruno Fernandes penalty, awarded after Baleba fouled Joshua Zirkzee.
Despite flashes of promise, United struggled to contain Brighton’s relentless attacks. Mitoma restored Brighton’s lead in the 60th minute with his fifth goal of the season, making him the all-time leading Japanese scorer in the Premier League.
United’s defense crumbled further when goalkeeper Andre Onana mishandled a routine cross in the 76th minute, gifting Georginio Rutter an easy goal.
