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When Manchester United welcomed Brighton and Hove Albion to Old Trafford on Sunday in the Premier League, the Red Devils were 10th in the table and dangerously in need of a win in the Premier League. And Solskjaer had every reason to be hopeful ahead of the game.
The Red Devils had impressed in midweek at home in the UEFA Europa League. They won 3-0 against Partizan Belgrade and secured qualification to the knockouts of the tournament. More than the 3 points, it was how the Red Devils played on the night that was a cause for celebration. United were free-flowing in attack and played open entertaining football for the majority of the game. Solskjaer, as such, was looking forward to the same on Sunday.
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Their opponents had amassed two points more than the Red Devils and had also gathered one more win in the Premier League this season. The Norwegian knew that his team needed to fire on all cylinders to stop a resurgent Brighton side and he named his team accordingly.
Manchester United Starting XI: David De Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Brandon Williams; Scott McTominay, Fred, Andreas Pereira; Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Daniel James.
Manchester United were off the blocks quickly and took the lead in the 17th minute when Andreas Pereira’s shot was deflected in. Two minutes later, the home side were 2-0 up, thanks to a Davy Propper own goal. After the break, the away side piled up the pressure and got a goal back through Lewis Dunk in the 64th minute. However, Marcus Rashford put United 3-1 ahead in the 66th minute and United went on to secure all 3 points.
Thanks to the result, the Red Devils are 7th in the table ahead of the international break and Solskjaer will be very impressed with these five men who were brilliant for Manchester United against Brighton.
#5 Anthony Martial
It has been clear in recent weeks that Anthony Martial is a vital component in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tactics. The Frenchman is the one who makes this Manchester United team tick and his presence at the tip of the United attack allows the other United attackers to flourish. Even though he did not score against Brighton, Martial picked up 2 assists and helped his team win the game.
The Frenchman set up Andreas Pereira in the first half, who put United ahead in the game. After Brighton had scored, Martial latched on to a through ball from Fred and despite being thwarted by the Brighton backline, had the presence of mind to cut the ball back for Rashford. The Englishman scored and took the game away from the away side.
#4 Brandon Williams
The youngster earned his first Premier League start on Sunday because Ashley Young was suspended for the game. But even with the United skipper around, Brandon Williams had shown enough in recent weeks to get United fans excited. He was rested in midweek and had an opportunity to test his mettle in the Premier League on Sunday. And it must be noted that he passed with flying colors.
Williams was impressive in the left-back position, ensuring that Brighton found very little joy through the left-hand side of the United back like. He was adventurous, venturing forward on every opportunity and his speed and desire worked wonders for Solskjaer’s tactics. Williams constantly ran down the pitch, stretching the opposition and opening up spaces for Rashford to take advantage of.
The youngster registered 5 tackles with 80% success rate and was a warrior on the pitch, his controlled aggression also earning him a yellow card in the game. He attempted 33 passes with an 88% success rate and also registered one key pass.
#3 Marcus Rashford
The Englishman has been blowing hot and cold this season for Manchester United and his inconsistency has hurt his team. However, there’s no denying that at his best, Marcus Rashford is unplayable and after another fruitful game in midweek, he was expected to put down a marker against Brighton.
Rashford was a threat throughout the first half, but failed make full use of the opportunities that came his way. He did find himself at the end of quite a few good balls from Daniel James, but lacked precision in the final third. However, he made amends in the 66th minute.
Manchester United had just conceded a goal and Brighton were on the rise when Anthony Martial cut back to find Rashford in space in the box. The Englishman hit a ferocious shot that went in off the crossbar to restore United’s two-goal lead. It was a strike that effectively sealed the game. After the goal, Rashford grew in confidence and came close to adding to his tally on a couple of occasions, but could not find his second of the night.
#2 Daniel James
The Welshman has now become one of the key members of the United team and was rested in midweek because Solskjaer felt that he was playing too many games. However, Daniel James was back into the first team on Sunday, which was also the day he turned 22. Even though he failed to find the back of the net, the Welshman caused the away defense all sorts of trouble. He was constantly fouled as Brighton had no answer to his movement and pace.
James was a menace on the break, where he showcased his speed and went past his markers easily. He also played some great balls from the right and had Rashford been a little more composed in front of goal, James would have certainly picked up at least one assist.
The Welshman was decisive with the ball at his feet and was a willing runner throughout the game. He religiously tracked back to help out Aaron Wan-Bissaka and put in a good shift throughout the game. James registered two key passes in the game and attempted six dribbles with a 50% success rate.
#1 Scott McTominay
The Scottish midfielder had picked up a knock in midweek and was an injury doubt ahead of the game. However, Solskjaer had been hopeful that Scott McTominay would make the team on Sunday and it was easy to see why. Manchester United did not have an able replacement for the Scottish midfielder in their team, and he was perhaps the most important Manchester United player at the moment.
Not only did McTominay manage to start against Brighton, he also continued his terrific run of form. The Scottish midfielder dominated the middle of the park and ensured that United were in total control of the game. McTominay brought steel to the midfield and did not afford the opposition too much space to operate closing them down with conviction. He was a natural leader on the pitch and his drive and thrust ultimately paid dividends in the 19th minute.
The Scottish midfielder harrowed the opposition defense during a set-piece and ultimately caused Propper to score the own goal.
