'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Score: Manchester United 1 - 0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Goalscorers: Lewis Dunk OG (Ashley Young's shot - why not give it to him and make both happy, I'll never know)
Trending
Manchester United maintained their brilliant home record by squeezing past a dogged Brighton & Hove Albion side that stood toe-to-toe with United for large parts of the game - creating plenty of chances and exchanging supremacy along the flanks with the ease of an established Premier League team.
At the end of the day, though, it was three points... and the gap closed to City (now 5 points, though the Cityzens play tomorrow, against Huddersfield Town)
Here then are the five key talking points from the tough outing for United -
#5 Victor Lindelof shows what all the fuss was about
The Swede took considerable flak for the nervous, jumpy, performance he put in at Huddersfield (his mistake, of course, allowed Laurent Depoitre to score what turned out to be the game-winning goal for the Terriers) and the media - and twitter - naturally jumped on his, and United's, back slamming the incredible price he was signed for and moaning the inability of young English players to make the first team of big clubs due to such failing big-money signings.
Today he showed exactly why that is just a crock of nonsense. Composed, calm on the ball, solid in the tackle (a particularly thunderous challenge on Anthony Knockaert stood out) he also highlighted the failings of Chris Smalling - the archetypical blood and thunder English center-back - alongside him. If Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, and Marcos Rojo are all fit, Smalling will find himself fifth-choice and has no one to blame but himself
#4 Anthony Knockaert epitomises Brighton & Hove Albion's quality and temperament
The French winger was the symbol of Brighton's surge through the Championship last year - their talisman who banished personal demons while simultaneously dragging his side to a super 2nd place finish - and he was the symbol of the Seagulls superb temperament at Old Trafford.
At times it feels a bit condescending to praise the spunk, the desire, the commitment of "smaller" away sides at big clubs - but here there is no condescension. Brighton were well organised in defence, brave in midfield and - mainly due to Knockaert's direct running and technical quality - superbly purposeful on the break.
Knockaert had Young in his pocket when moving forward (though the opposite could be said of Young moving forward) and the Frenchman scythed through United's flank far too easily for Mourinho's comfort and a bit more quality around could have seen the winger cause some real havoc to United's title aspirations on the night.
#3 Ashley Young doing everything right on his path to redemption
He was signed with major fan-fare and appeared to do decently well in his first season at the club. But as the years drew on, the dives became more outrageous, and the management shakier, Ashley Young soon became the symbol of everything that was wrong with Manchester United.
A lesser man would have run away from the harsh glare of constant criticism he was subject, most correctly may I hasten to add, but it speaks volume of the character of the man that he accepted his limitations and acknowledged his role as a squad player and a makeshift full-back. It speaks volumes of his talent that he is now the first-choice left-back at Manchester United.
Against Brighton, he was United's man of the match -the source of the goal and much of the home side's creativity... his dribbling and impeccable crossing of either foot a constant threat on that left flank.
While he still needs to improve greatly when it comes to defensive positioning, the man deserves our respect for braving long, hard, painful road to redemption.
#2 Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy the kind of partnership promoted teams dream of
Unfortunately, this is the one stat that Lewis Dunk will be associated with as the season's first-half draws to a close -
Doing that, though, would be a crime - Dunk and his partner Shane Duffy have been the bedrock upon which Chris Hughton has taken Brighton & Hove Albion to a dizzying ninth in the league, and they are the kind of partnerships most promoted teams, whose CBs often struggle with the drastic jump-up in quality of the Premier League, dream of.
Dunk and Duffy kept Romelu Lukaku quiet all day long while commanding the box with their tremendous aerial prowess and nothing of what they did deserved to be embellished by that own goal.
Dunk also had one of Brighton's brightest attacking moments when he powered through the length of the field on a scintillating counter only to lose his composure inside the United box at the very last minute.
#1 Romelu Lukaku needs to shape up, or a lion is taking his place in the XI
No one can fault Lukaku's work ethic. The big man, often lambasted for not running enough during his Everton days, was everywhere along the front lines against Albion, charging down loose balls, chasing lost causes, closing defenders down and it was, in fact, one of those full-hearted attempts that won the corner which led to the only goal of the match.
United, though, didn't shell out £75 million for his closing down abilities. He missed two presentable heading chances, and a wonderful shooting chance in the opening stages of the game and his profligacy in front of goal is growing into a real worry for a team that suffered so much due to this last season.
On the sidelines, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is almost back to his 100% best, and while he too was guilty of profligacy last season, he will sooner rather than later take Lukaku's spot in the starting XI if the Belgian keeps missing like he has in the past few games.
