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Manchester United travelled to the Amex Stadium on Saturday looking to put the misery of their disastrous defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend behind them.
The Red Devils looked out of touch and out of ideas at home against the Eagles while succumbing to a 1-3 defeat. However, Manchester United were quick to bounce back in midweek in the Carabao Cup, dispatching off Luton Town 3-0 to regain some lost confidence ahead of a hectic week.
The game against Brighton was billed to be a real test of character for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side. It proved so especially in the first half as Manchester United went behind two minutes before the break when Neal Maupay scored from the spot. However, Brighton’s lead lasted only three minutes as a Lewis Dunk own goal restored parity. The two teams then went into the break with the scores level at 1-1.
Manchester United started the second half on the ascendancy and took the lead through Marcus Rashford in the 55th minute. The hosts then pushed United back for the rest of the half and managed to equalise through Solly March in the fifth minute of injury time.
However, there was more drama in store as VAR awarded Manchester United a late penalty which Bruno Fernandes converted with virtually the last kick of the game.
The Red Devils were nowhere near their best against Brighton, but this win will nevertheless delight Solskjaer. On that note, let us take a look at five Manchester United players who were impressive against Brighton.
Five Manchester United players who impressed against Brighton
#5 David de Gea
David de Gea did not have the best of games and was beaten seven times in 90 minutes by Brighton. Thankfully, though, the frame of the goal came to his rescue on as many as five occasions!
Not for the first time, the Manchester United defense did not do De Gea too many favours as the visiting custodian rightfully bellowed at his backline more than once.
The penalty that gave the hosts the lead was executed to perfection, and there was nothing the Spaniard could do about it. However, for Brighton's second goal, De Gea was left exposed by his backline. In a moment between the two Brighton goals, though, the Spaniard showed the world why he is so highly rated by his manager.
In the dying moments of the game, with Manchester United still leading 2-1, the Red Devils' defence was ripped apart by the hosts, and Leandro Trossard found himself free on goal with only De Gea to beat.
However, the Manchester United keeper did well to keep the shot out and ensured that the visitors remained within a whiff of victory till the last kick of the game. It turned out to be the only time when the Spaniard was called to action, and De Gea responded very well to help his team come out with all three points.
#4 Nemanja Matic
The unsung hero of the Manchester United midfield, Nemanja Matic, carried out his work quietly throughout the game once again, even though he was burdened by a slow Pogba and an unsure defence behind him.
However, Nemanja Matic kept the ball moving and showed silky skills in unexpected positions as he pushed the team forward from the deep. The Serbian completed 56 of his 66 attempted passes in a game where Manchester United players kept gifting possession to the opposition. Had it not been for the experience of Matic in the middle of the park, the visitors could have conceded more goals.
Matic did not just pass the ball but also showed adventure and desire to move the game forward. He attempted ten passes into the final-third, with seven of them being successful. The Serbian tried to initiate counter-attacks as well, but Manchester United simply seemed to lack the zeal in the final-third of the game.
Matic, nevertheless, continues to be an important part of the Solskjaer project, and he certainly played his part in Manchester United's gritty win over the Seagulls.
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#3 Luke Shaw
Luke Shaw had been brilliant last season, but he was far from his best in the opening-day drubbing at the hands of Crystal Palace.
After watching Brandon Williams put in an assured performance in midweek and with the shadow of Alex Telles hanging above his head, the Englishman knew he had little room for complacency. And against Brighton, Shaw put in a shift that helped Manchester United seal all three points.
The Englishman was not back to his best yet, but he showed the intent and desire while going forward that caused quite a few problems for the home side. The Seagulls struggled to contain his forward runs and did not get too much joy attacking through his side of the field either.
Shaw was composed at the back and complemented Rashford very well in attack, ultimately helping Manchester United win the game.
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#2 Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford has lost a bit of his goal-scoring zeal since recovering from the back injury he picked up in January this year.
The Englishman was poor against Crystal Palace, but in midweek, he looked lively off the bench. He even scored his first goal of the season against the Hatters, declaring his intentions to one and all. Solskjaer promptly reinstated Rashford into the Manchester United first-XI against the Seagulls, with the young striker justifying his manager's decision.
The Englishman did not look the sharpest in the first half but turned over a leaf after the break. He ran the channels well, showed quick movement in the box and even had a goal disallowed for offside by the smallest of margins.
However, Rashford continued to strive, and his tenacity was rewarded in the 55th minute. The Englishman followed a Bruno Fernandes pass, ran half the length of the field, toyed with the entire Seagull defence and smashed the ball into the back of the net to give Manchester United the lead.
It was a landmark 10,000th goal in the club's illustrious history, as Rashford wrote his name into Manchester United's history book.
Even though the hosts would go on to equalise, it was a goal that gave Manchester United the lift and belief needed to eventually win the game.
#1 Bruno Fernandes
When Bruno Fernandes joined Manchester United in January, the Red Devils were in troubled waters.
The Portuguese transformed Solskjaer’s side with his Midas touch and inspired the team to an impressive third position in the league table.
Fernandes was expected to continue where he left off this season, but he turned up with only one leg against Crystal Palace. However, the Portuguese gave a timely reminder of his class in the eye-catching cameo off the bench against Luton Town in midweek, picking up his first assist of the season.
Yet he had the worst possible start against the Seagulls, giving away a penalty after a rather poor first 40 minutes of the game. But the defining quality of every great player is the ability to rise above adversities, and that one mistake helped the Portuguese break out of his shell.
Bruno Fernandes ran around like a man possessed after Manchester United went behind, and three minutes later, he whipped in a free-kick that led to the equaliser for the visitors. After the break, he brilliantly set up Rashford with a long ball from the edge of the Manchester United penalty area. But his greatest moment in the match came after his team were awarded a penalty in the dying moments of the game.
With the weight of the entire world on his shoulders, the Portuguese stepped up to take the spot-kick but was as cool as a cucumber. He could have been walking in the park. Fernandes sent Mathew Ryan the wrong way and secured all three points for his team. In the process, Bruno Fernandes also showed that he remains Manchester United’s most important player.
