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Manchester United were hoping to bounce back from last week’s defeat at the hands of Bournemouth in the Premier League when they welcomed Graham Potter’s high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion to Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Red Devils did manage to secure a comfortable victory against Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League during the midweek and their performance in that game must have given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men loads of confidence going into the game against the Seagulls. However, the 20-time league champions couldn’t afford any complacency against a Brighton side who have been in inspiring form lately.
The Red Devils enjoyed a solid start to the game, scoring twice inside the first 20 minutes of the game. However, they failed to continue the same energy for the rest of the half, which allowed the Seagulls back into the game. Graham Potter's men started the second half with purpose and got back into the game courtesy of a Lewis Dunk header from a corner.
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However, the Red Devils were quick to restore their two-goal advantage all thanks to a Marcus Rashford goal from inside the box. After that, Manchester United displayed some exhilarating football and could have scored a couple more. However, some poor finishing and the resilience from Brighton keeper Mat Ryan kept the scoreline at 3-1.
While several players impressed, others failed to live up to the expectations. Here are 5 hits and flops from the game:
#5 Hit: Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire, who was named the captain for the evening, produced an astute defensive display against Brighton. The 26-year-old marshalled the United backline excellently and was always on the cover when Brandon Williams was caught out of position. The thing that impressed the most from his performance against the Seagulls was his reading of the game.
The centre-back stepped up in midfield to snatch the ball from the feet of the opposition attackers, which started the United counter-attacks on numerous occasions. Maguire would be gutted not to come away with a clean sheet from the game given his performance, however, his performance would give him something to cherish.
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#4 Flop: Martin Montoya
Martin Montoya, who produced a man of the match performance against Norwich City last weekend, had a game to forget against Manchester United. The full-back struggled to cope up with the task of stopping Marcus Rashford, with the striker getting the best of him on many occasions.
The 28-year-old Spaniard looked out of sorts defensively and failed to win even a single tackle. Moreover, he didn't offer anything going forward and couldn't even manage a single cross into the opposition box. Given his poor performance in the first half, the full-back was rightly withdrawn by Graham Potter at half-time.
#3 Hit: Fred
Fred's performance against Brighton & Hove Albion was by far his best performance in a United shirt since his £52 million move to Old Trafford last summer. The 26-year-old bossed the middle of the park for the Red Devils against the Seagulls. The Brazilian didn't put a foot wrong and his progressive passing was the key to the exuberant attacking display the Red Devils put up on the evening.
The midfielder was involved in the build-up to all three goals scored by his side. Moreover, his work off the ball was commendable and he won the ball in dangerous positions on numerous occasion. Fred is creating a formidable partnership with Scott McTominay in midfield and the run of games is helping him find his footing in the Premier League.
#2 Flop: Andreas Pereira
Despite getting his name on the scoresheet, Andreas Pereira was the worst Manchester United player on the pitch. The 23-year-old, who was deployed as a number 10 by Solskjaer, showed signs of poor decision-making throughout his time on the pitch against the Seagulls. For instance, in the build-up to the first goal, the Brazilian ignored a pass to Anthony Martial, who was in a better position to score and tried to get past 3 defenders on his own.
Luckily, the tackle from the opposition defender rolled the ball into the path of Martial who gave the ball back to the midfielder and his deflected shot found the back of the net. There was more than one instance where the attacking midfielder tried to hit the back of the net from distance instead of passing to his teammates who were in a better position to score. Solskjaer has shown a lot of faith in Pereira since the start of the season, however, performances like those aren't going to help his cause.
#1 Hit: Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial, who has been brilliant for Manchester United this season, produced another impressive display against the Seagulls. The Frenchman made his first start in the Premier League at Old Trafford since the Crystal Palace game back in August and was by far the best attacker on the pitch. The 23-year-old created 6 chances, more than any other player on the pitch and managed to grab a couple of assists.
Moreover, his strong hold-up play helped United get forward and his link-up with both Daniel James and Marcus Rashford was delightful to watch. Manchester United have looked a much-better side since the return of Martial and the Frenchman is expected to be the key for the Red Devils going forward this season.
