Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Old Trafford forms the backdrop for a revenge-poised Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Manchester United headed into September’s international break off the back of a heartbreaking 3-1 defeat at Arsenal, even though they thought they had won the game when Alejandro Garnacho scored on the stroke of the 90th minute. But VAR’s intervention overturned the goal, letting Arsenal bag two stoppage-time goals and condemn Erik ten Hag’s side to their second loss in four Premier League games this season (W2). With Antony facing rape charges in his homeland and Jadon Sancho having a fallout with the Dutch manager, Man Utd’s bid to extend their superb 31-game unbeaten streak at Old Trafford across all competitions (W27, D4). Ominously for United fans, the last Premier League team to beat the ‘Red Devils’ at the Theatre of Dreams was non-other than Brighton, with the ‘Seagulls’ doing so on Ten Hag’s home debut in August 2022.

In stark contrast to Man Utd’s topsy-turvy Premier League start, the visitors have gone from strength to strength in the opening four rounds (W3, L1), showing last season’s European finish was no fluke. Au contraire, Roberto De Zerbi’s men have been the most enjoyable Premier League side to watch this term, scoring a league-high 12 goals, three of which came in a scintillating 3-1 home triumph over Newcastle United last time out. Even in a 3-1 loss to West Ham in the round prior, the ‘Seagulls’ boasted 78% possession and 26 shots on goal, including ten on target, suggesting their three-match winning run against Man Utd could be prolonged this weekend. Indeed, Brighton were the only Premier League side to complete a double against Ten Hag’s men in 2023/24.