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Manchester United were handed a 4-0 hammering by Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League at the Falmer Stadium on Saturday, 7 May. The crushing defeat brought an end to the Red Devils' faint hopes of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League.
A goal in the 15th minute from Moises Caicedo saw Graham Potter's Seagulls enter half-time with a well-deserved 1-0 advantage. Ralf Rangnick's Red Devils were abysmal in the opening 45 minutes and failed to get a shot on target. Brighton then dismantled United with a brutal second-half outburst, as the home side scored thrice in just over 10 minutes.
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Marc Cucurella (49th), Pascal Gross (57th) and Leandro Trossard (60th) found the net to condemn the visiting side to an embarrassing loss. Despite having just 42 percent of possession, Brighton had more shots (17 to 15) and more attempts on target (6 to 5) than the Red Devils.
With the loss, United have 58 points from 37 games. They will not be able to catch fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur (62 from 35) or Arsenal (63 from 34) in fourth. Meanwhile, Brighton have tightened their hold on ninth place in the league table and are on 47 points from 36 games.
On that note, here are five talking points from a remarkably one-sided affair at the Amex:
#5 Moises Caicedo returns to haunt the Red Devils
Brighton's opening goal of the afternoon was scored by 20-year-old Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo. He found the net with a brilliant low effort from distance. Interestingly, the Red Devils were strongly linked with the youngster back in late 2020. At the time, Sky Sports claimed the club decided against signing Caicedo, who was playing for Independiente del Valle.
The Seagulls swooped in to sign him for £4.5 million in February 2021 and are belatedly reaping the rewards. Caicedo made his league debut for Brighton last month, over a year after signing for the club. The goal against Manchester United was also his first for Graham Potter's side.
#4 Marc Cucurella continues to impress for the Seagulls
Brighton's acquisition of former Barcelona youth product Marc Cucurella from Getafe for £16 million last summer has proved to be a masterstroke. The 23-year-old Spanish left-back has caught the eye with his industry and creativity at both ends of the pitch. However, prior to Saturday's game, his impressive displays had not translated into goal contributions.
Against Manchester United, though, Cucurella turned in one of his best performances of the campaign. Not only did he pocket Anthony Elanga in the first-half, but also doubled Brighton's advantage after the interval. It was Cucurella's first goal for the club and his emotional celebration showed how much the moment meant to him.
He also played a big part in the Seagulls' third goal of the day. He latched onto Sanchez's long kick and played in Trossard, who set up Pascal Gross for an easy finish.
#3 Manchester United set numerous unwanted records on a wretched afternoon
To say that Manchester United were abysmal on Saturday afternoon would be an understatement. If anything, the Red Devils were fortunate that the game finished 4-0, as it could very well have been more. On a day that saw the end of the club's hopes of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League, the Manchester giants also set several unwanted records:
- It is the 12th time Manchester United have conceded four or more goals in a Premier League game since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement. They have now matched the number of times it happened in 810 games under the legendary manager.
- The Red Devils have now conceded 56 league goals this campaign, their worst record in a single season of the Premier League era.
- With his defeat, Ralf Rangnick's men have lost five consecutive away league games. They have scored just twice and conceded 16 goals during that stretch, including three 4-0 losses.
#2 Raphael Varane turns in a horrid showing
While Manchester United's defensive woes are well-documented, the likes of Harry Maguire and Alex Telles have borne the brunt of the fans' fury. However, questions must also be asked of summer signing Raphael Varane. The 29-year-old Frenchman arrived at Old Trafford from Real Madrid for £36 million last summer in what was seen as a bargain deal.
Unfortunately, the centre-back has struggled to live up to his enormous reputation (2018 World Cup winner and four-time UEFA Champions League winner). The game against Brighton was arguably Varane's worst showing in a Red Devils jersey so far. The defender appeared unconvincing and nearly gifted Danny Welbeck a first-half goal with a horrible individual error.
Things got worse in the second-half as Gross danced past Varane with remarkable ease to slot in Brighton's third goal of the day. With injuries restricting the defender to just 29 appearances across competitions this season, it's safe to say the transfer hasn't worked out as both parties would have hoped.
#1 What next for Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo?
In recent weeks, it has become increasingly clear that the Red Devils will struggle to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League. This led to rumors that Cristiano Ronaldo could depart the Premier League side this summer. However, his performance in United's 3-0 win over Brentford earlier this week had led to renewed optimism about his future at the club.
Saturday's defeat to Brighton, though, has complicated matters as Manchester United are now out of the running for a top-four finish. The 37-year-old Portuguese superstar cut a very frustrated figure all afternoon and could only laugh as Brighton piled on the misery in the second-half.
It was the most animated Ronaldo has been all season and the forward did not look like a player who was happy with his current situation. The Red Devils will certainly want to keep hold of the superstar, who has scored 24 goals for them this campaign. Whether Ronaldo is willing to continue with a team that appears to be in freefall is another question.
