Brighton 2-3 Manchester United: Three Things We Learned

Brighton & Hove Albion went to war with Manchester United on Saturday afternoon in what was easily one of the most exciting matches of the new Premier League season thus far. The Seagulls and the Red Devils were battling long into injury time, but when push came to shove, it was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men who claimed all three points.

The hosts were able to take the lead but it didn’t take long for United to turn it around, and while it was a strong comeback, it always felt as if Brighton were still in the game. They proceeded to equalise with just a few minutes remaining before Bruno Fernandes stepped up and scored from the spot following a penalty that was awarded after the full time whistle blew. No, we can’t keep up either.

Today, we’re going to take a look at what we learned from this fascinating encounter.

Brighton are legit

They rattled the woodwork more times than we can count, they pushed United to the brink and they were incredibly unlucky not to come away with something from the game. Sure, they need to steady the ship from a defensive standpoint if they want to avoid the danger zone, but we don’t think Brighton are going to have any issues when it comes to staying up this season.

United in trouble?

Yes, they got themselves out of jail this time around, but they aren’t going to be quite as fortunate as the campaign draws on. Manchester United look like a team that could struggle to even make their way into the top six, especially if they aren’t able to add to their ranks before the transfer window shuts for another few months. It’s becoming clear that the club cannot simply buy their way back to relevance and if that message isn’t drummed into them over the course of the next few weeks, their problems could get even worse.

Rematch to come

Brighton will get their chance to get their revenge on United when they meet again in the EFL Cup’s Round of 16. It’s bound to be a very different affair with both teams putting out slightly weakened sides, but with the Graham Potter’s men being priced at 7/2 with Betfair to win, we’d say there’s some value in the idea that they could get the job done. After all, United have far more important things to worry about this season.