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Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first goal of 2022 in Manchester United's 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Tuesday. The forward broke his six-game scoring drought with a stunning strike in the 51st minute.
Cristiano Ronaldo started up-front for Manchester United, with Jadon Sancho, Bruno Fernandes and Anthony Elanga behind him. Brazilian midfielder Fred returned to the lineup, replacing Paul Pogba.
Both teams started the game strongly, with Jakub Moder and Jadon Sancho both having chances to open the scoring. However the rest of the half was quite scrappy with neither side creating any significant chances.
The Red Devils started the second-half much the stronger side as Cristiano Ronaldo blasted them into the lead in the 51st minute. Scott McTominay dispossessed Yves Bissouma in midfield before giving the ball to Ronaldo, who skipped away from the defender's challenge before powering a shot past Robert Sanchez in goal.
Three minutes later Brighton's misery was further compounded after Lewis Dunk was sent off for a foul on Anthony Elanga. A VAR check deemed that Dunk had prevented a clear goalscoring chance by fouling the United forward. United then piled on the pressure as they looked to double their lead. However, their goal didn't come until the 97th minute of the game. Pogba took a quick free-kick, releasing Fernandes who calmly slotted the ball past Sanchez.
The win means that Ralf Rangnick's side are now 4th in the Premier League, two points ahead of West Ham in 5th. The Red Devils take on Leeds United at the weekend, with a win potentially taking them to within one point of Chelsea in 3rd.
Cristiano Ronaldo back to scoring ways for Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo has finally ended his scoring drought for the Red Devils. The forward had not scored or assisted a goal in 2022 before the game, with his six-game scoring drought being his longest since 2009.
His goal against Brighton is his 15th across all competitions this season. Ralf Rangnick will hope that the forward can now return to form as Manchester United fight to finish in the top 4.
With that being said, here are the best Twitter reactions from Manchester United's 1-0 win over Brighton:
