Brighton & Hove Albion became the second team to record three consecutive Premier League away wins at Old Trafford after beating Manchester United 3-1 on Sunday.
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Only against rivals Manchester City have the Red Devils lost three in a row at the Theatre of Dreams in the top flight, but they were comfortably second best against Fabian Hurzeler’s side.
In Man Utd’s first match since their legendary striker Denis Law passed away on Friday, aged 84, they fell behind early on.
Yankuba Minteh put the visitors ahead in the fifth minute, only for Bruno Fernandes to restore parity from the penalty spot soon after following Carlos Baleba’s foul on Joshua Zirkzee.
But the Seagulls took control after the break, with Kaoru Mitoma (below) putting them ahead before substitute Georginio Rutter capitalised on a poor mistake by Andre Onana to seal the win.
The result moves Brighton up to ninth in the table, while United’s first league defeat of 2025 leaves them 13th on 26 points.
How the match unfolded
After tributes were paid to Law, including a wreath of flowers laid by Sir Alex Ferguson (below) and a minute's applause, Brighton started the faster of the two sides, with Joao Pedro threatening Onana’s goal after just three minutes, but they would get the goal their performance merited early on.
Baleba’s excellent pass was gathered by Mitoma, who squared the ball for Minteh to tap in his third Premier League goal of the season.
But the Seagulls relinquished control of the game, as an error from Bart Verbruggen saw Zirkzee hauled down by Baleba in the box, with Fernandes dispatching the spot-kick.
Brighton thought they had gone ahead when Pedro tucked the ball home, with the goal awarded on-pitch but overturned after a VAR review, with Jan Paul van Hecke fouling Diogo Dalot.
However, Brighton would establish an advantage on the hour through Mitoma, who became the highest-scoring Japanese player in Premier League history with his 15th goal in the competition, before Onana spilled Yasin Ayari’s ball into the box, allowing Rutter the opportunity to pounce late on.
United back to the drawing board
United have had a good few weeks, holding Liverpool to a draw at Anfield before knocking Arsenal of out of the FA Cup and beating Southampton 3-1 on Thursday.
This defeat, however, was a reminder that they are a long way from consistently stringing together Premier League victories.
Ruben Amorim’s side failed to create enough clear-cut chances to properly challenge Brighton’s second-half lead, taking just six shots, none of which were on target. And at the other end, a Onana error undermined any efforts to ramp up the pressure in the final minutes.
It is the latest Old Trafford disappointment for Amorim, who has now presided over defeat in four of United’s last five league home matches.
They find life particularly difficult against Brighton, who became the second team in the league’s history – after Man City, who have done it twice – to win three straight matches at this venue.
United fan and darts world champions Luke Littler was in attendance, but his team didn’t look anything like world-beaters.
Seagulls soaring
Brighton may impress because of their array of young, attacking talent – but it is how difficult they are to beat that is standing them in good stead this season and they are currently on a six-match unbeaten run.
Their sturdiness owes plenty to doing the basics right in defence.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
25 | -3 | 30 |
| 14 |
Everton
EVE
|
25 | -4 | 30 |
| 15 |
Man Utd
MUN
|
25 | -7 | 29 |
| 16 |
West Ham
WHU
|
25 | -18 | 27 |
| 17 |
Wolves
WOL
|
25 | -19 | 19 |
| 18 |
Ipswich
IPS
|
25 | -27 | 17 |
| 19 |
Leicester
LEI
|
25 | -30 | 17 |
| 20 |
Southampton
SOU
|
25 | -38 | 9 |
Baleba was impressive again from the base of midfield, winning eight duels as well as a couple of tackles, while Joel Veltman and Lewis Dunk completed four and three clearances each.
Even though they didn’t create loads in this encounter, firing off six shots in such an efficient performance was enough to win.
Mitoma and Minteh were the stars in attack with a goal and an assist each, while Rutter showed off Brighton’s strength in depth by scoring off the bench.
They will be hoping to continue their momentum against Everton next weekend, who earned a first win under David Moyes after beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at Goodison Park on Sunday.
Match reports
Man Utd report | Brighton report
What the managers said
Ruben Amorim: "We are being the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United. I know that you want headlines, but I'm saying that because we have to acknowledge that and to change that. Here you go, your headlines."
Fabian Hurzeler: “I think we should be always confident. We should always go to an away stadium with the mindset that we can win.
“We have the skill and we have the potential in the squad.If you don’t come here and have the belief in yourself it won’t work."
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Key facts
Bruno Fernandes has scored 22 penalties in the Premier League, the most of any Man Utd player in the competition's history, while, for all clubs, only Mohamed Salah (23) has netted more from the spot since his debut in February 2020.
Brighton have scored the first goal in eight of their last 10 Premier League matches against United, including each of their last three in a row at Old Trafford.
Brighton have won successive away matches in the Premier League for the first time since September 2023 – with their second such win in both instances being 3-1 victories at Old Trafford.