Manchester United’s disappointing form continued with a late 2-1 loss to Brighton, despite some improvements under their new management. On Saturday, João Pedro scored the winning goal for Brighton in the fifth minute of injury time, after a period of sustained pressure. While United had brief moments of quality, they failed to capitalize on them and struggled with basic defensive mistakes.

Erik ten Hag, United’s manager, acknowledged some positives in their play but stressed the need for more control and aggression, especially in both penalty areas. United’s defensive frailties were evident in Brighton’s winning goal, where three Brighton players were unmarked in the box, and the team’s disorganization led to a vacant six-yard area late in the game.

Brighton’s first goal came from João Pedro’s dangerous cross, which led to Danny Welbeck scoring after Kaoru Mitoma exploited space behind the defense. United’s Marcus Rashford, once a promising talent, continued to struggle, making several mistakes, including a poorly timed pass that contributed to Brighton’s opener. Injury forced Mason Mount off at halftime, and although United looked more threatening afterward, their equalizing goal was disallowed for offside due to a defensive blunder by Joshua Zirkzee.