Manchester United’s defensive frailties were exposed once again as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
The decisive blow came in the 95th minute, when Joao Pedro’s header secured a dramatic victory for Brighton, marking a perfect Premier League home debut for their new manager, Fabian Hurzeler.
The game seemed headed for a draw after Amad Diallo’s deflected shot equalized Danny Welbeck’s first-half goal. However, Pedro’s late header at the back post showcased United’s recurring defensive issues.
Despite significant investment in defensive reinforcements during the transfer window—bringing in Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, and Leny Yoro—United’s defense struggled.
De Ligt and Scott McTominay were caught out by Simon Adingra’s cross, allowing Pedro to score.
United manager Erik ten Hag lamented the defensive lapses, stating, “If you protect the goal like we do then you drop points. We conceded two soft goals where we should have acted better as a team. We need to be more alert in such moments.”
This defeat intensifies scrutiny on Ten Hag’s position, with Liverpool set to visit Old Trafford next weekend.
Although Ten Hag survived an internal review after last season’s eighth-place finish—thanks in part to winning the FA Cup—his team’s inconsistent performances this season have yet to inspire confidence.
United had begun the season with a narrow 1-0 win over Fulham, thanks to Joshua Zirkzee’s late goal. However, their performance against Brighton highlighted ongoing struggles from the previous campaign.
Brighton, under Hurzeler’s guidance, continue to impress. After a 3-0 win over Everton in Hurzeler’s debut, the Seagulls are emerging as strong contenders for European football. Hurzeler praised his team’s attitude and resilience, saying, “Winners in the last minute are always emotional.”
Brighton’s opener came from a defensive lapse by United, as Harry Maguire failed to intercept a cross, allowing Kaoru Mitoma to assist Welbeck for his 100th career goal. United thought they had equalized through Marcus Rashford, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
In the second half, Brighton pushed for another goal, with James Milner’s shot cleared off the line by Diogo Dalot and Welbeck hitting the bar. United’s hopes were briefly raised when Diallo’s deflected shot drew them level, but a VAR decision ruled out a potential crucial second goal by Garnacho due to Zirkzee’s inadvertent touch.
Pedro’s header, resulting from poor marking by McTominay and De Ligt, sealed the victory for Brighton and highlighted the ongoing defensive issues for United as they prepare for a crucial match against Liverpool next week.
