A thrilling contest featuring chances a-plenty, goals to boot, and comical offsides took place on the South Coast today, as a late winner from Joao Pedro allowed Brighton and Hove Albion to defeat Manchester United 2-1.
After an unsuspecting opening 30 minutes at The Amex, where both sides were cagey in their attempts to size each other up, it was the hosts who cast the first stone through a familiar face to Manchester United fans.
The Red Devils failed to deal with a cross into the area, which fell kindly all the way through to Kaoru Mitoma to pull back to Danny Welbeck, who slid in at the right time to poke home his 100th career goal, and his third direct goal contribution of the season, against the side that he made his breakthrough with, for 1-0.
Manchester United almost managed to gain an instant response, with Amad Diallo’s teasing ball finding Marcus Rashford at the back post.
His initial header was saved superbly by Jason Steele, but fell kindly into the back of the net off of the none-the-wiser Rashford’s heel, but the flag was soon raised on the far side.
From there, though, Brighton continued to dominate the game, allowing Manchester United little possession and even fewer chances as the Seagulls carved out chances of their own with James Milner firing one over and Welbeck hitting the bar.
However, arguably against the run of play, it was United who found the net next to equalise through Diallo with the Ivorian getting the better of Jack Hinshelwood before firing a low shot in off of the knee of Jan Paul van Hecke.
Manchester United thought that they had completed the turnaround, with a beautiful Bruno Fernandes-led attack seeing Garnacho tee’d up to tap home at the back post, but the ball, incredibly, took a touch off of the offside knee of fellow substitute Joshua Zirkzee from less than a yard out, which saw the goal removed.
An end-to-end affair followed, with the sides trading attacking blows that featured chances for Lewis Dunk, Scott McTominay and Casemiro, but it was Brighton who stole the day through Joao Pedro, who rose unmarked at the back post to head home the winner in a dramatic ending to the match.
