Brighton v Manchester United: Premier League!

Simon Mail was at the Amex. Here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

Bruno Fernandes adds: “What we did today, what I did today was not enough to be in a Manchester United shirt, and I accept that.”

Ralf Rangnick, after his penultimate match in charge of United, talks to Sky. “From the first minute until the last, this was just not enough, in all important areas we were second best. We can only apologise to our supporters. It was a terrible performance and a humiliating defeat. We just gave them too much time and space, we were never in a position to stop them playing through our lines. We told the players to be compact, to put pressure on them, but we could not stop them. I don’t think they ignored the game plan, we just could not stop them. We had big problems with their wing backs, they were high and wide. In hindsight, maybe it was too much of a risk to change to 4-4-2 [after the break] but we had to try to change the energy. We were just second best in all relevant areas. Had we continued to play as we did in the first half, it also would have been just a question of time before conceding the second goal. That’s why I went to more of a risk. But at 4-0 after 60 minutes, it was a disaster for us. As a team we didn’t defend at all. Brighton are good on the ball and if you allow them that much space and time, it was easy for them. In games like today and at Everton, there was a lack of energy and aggression. In the first three or four months we were on the right pathway, but in the last four weeks we have been really poor.”

Graham Potter speaks to Sky. “We’ve had a bit of pain here this season, in terms of not winning in front of our supporters, so we owed them one. It’s a special evening for us. A fantastic performance and an amazing result. In an ideal world, you want to get your points at home in front of your supporters, and it was nice to give them a game, a performance, and a memory. We’re delighted. The boys did everything they could. You have some moments in football that aren’t great, but today’s a good one! It’s 47 points, an improvement, and we’re really happy.”

The verdict from both managers still to come … so don’t go anywhere yet! Instead, open up another tab for Simon Mail’s match report.

‘… and Smith Must Score’ dept. “I’ve been waiting for that score since the Cup Final replay of 1983,” writes Ceri Rees, currently in Zanzibar but wishing he’d been there. “Revenge!!!”

Updated at 14.43 EDT

Marc Cucurella was also all smiles, and why not? He explains how hard it has been to move to a new country and learn a new language, but the hard work has paid off, and this sort of result serves as a thank-you present for his family. It’s another lovely moment on pretty much a perfect day for Brighton.

Lewis Dunk speaks to Sky: “It was a special day. They are a top side, and we had to be at our best today. We’ve let our home fans down a lot this year, and to come to the end of the season and reward them with that, it was a nice moment. It’s a great win. We go away and have a nice evening.”

The Amex erupts in celebration. That’s a victory for the ages, and another statement made by Graham Potter’s emerging team. Brighton’s players applaud their fans and soak up the love; United’s have the good grace to look extremely embarrassed as they trudge down the tunnel. As magnificent as Brighton were – and Cucurella, Caicedo, Gross, March and Mac Allister in particular deserve so many plaudits – United were a shambles, their performance a complete fiasco. Brighton consolidate their position in the top half; United now can’t finish any higher than sixth.

FULL TIME: Brighton 4-0 Manchester United

Brighton’s humiliation of Manchester United is complete. It’s their first win at the Amex in 2022!

De Gea reacts. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Updated at 14.27 EDT

90 min +2: Ronaldo has a whack from the edge of the Brighton box. Blocked. The ball breaks to Dalot on the right. He has a go from a tighter angle. Sanchez, who has been superb, claims.

90 min +1: On Sky, co-commentator Alan Smith names Moises Caicedo as man of the match.

90 min: Gross takes. Webster wins a header. De Gea claims. There will be three added minutes.

89 min: Gross’s free kick rebounds back to him, whereupon he and Cucurella take turns to showcase some fancy footwork out on the flank. Cucurella eventually sends a cross out of play for a goal kick. Brighton come again in short order, Gross sending a low swerver towards the bottom right, forcing De Gea to tip around the post.

88 min: Cucurella’s fancy flick down the left foxes McTominay, who then bundles over Caicedo in a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. Free kick, just to the side of the United box. Gross takes … but can’t clear the first man.

86 min: … so having said that, McTominay ships possession 30 yards from his own goal. Welbeck snaffles the ball, takes a couple of strides forward, and unleashes an outswinger towards the top left. It’s beaten De Gea all ends up, but it also beats the left-hand post by inches. A fifth, by their former player, would have put the tin lid on it for United.

85 min: Bissouma needlessly clanks Fred to the floor near the right-hand touchline. Fernandes curls the free kick in for Maguire, who attempts to bundle home, but the flag goes up for offside. To be fair, United have been much improved since going four behind but … well, I won’t insult your intelligence by pointing out the problem inherent in that.

83 min: Trossard makes way for Maupay.

81 min: Cucurella is allowed to dribble down the middle, unchallenged, for a good while. United are fortunate that only Welbeck has kept up with him, and the attack eventually breaks down. United’s lack of tracking back speaks volumes.

79 min: A free kick for United out on the left as Fred is clipped by Veltman. It’s in a dangerous position just to the side of the Brighton box, but Fernandes flaps a poor one straight down Sanchez’s throat.

78 min: The teamsheets are in at Anfield, by the way. Barry Glendenning has all the details.

76 min: As if United haven’t been troubled enough, here comes the livewire Tariq Lamptey. He replaces March.

75 min: Telles crosses from the left. Sanchez claims. The Amex bounces. What an atmosphere!

74 min: Fernandes has a strike from distance. Sanchez claims without any fuss. “Surely the sadness was that it had taken so long to bake the cake in question,” writes Jimmy Webb John Little. “This united team looks like something a bunch of students cooked up after closing time on an end-of-term Friday.”

72 min: Dalot whistles a low cross in from the right. Bissouma stops it getting to Ronaldo by conceding a corner. Fernandes takes it long. Maguire wins a header and sends the ball towards the bottom left. Sanchez sticks out a strong hand. The ball bounces back to Maguire, who sends a low shot across the face of goal. Cavani turns it in by the right-hand post, but he’s clearly offside. He drop-kicks the ball away in frustration.

Cavani rues a disallowed goal. Photograph: Manchester United/Getty Images

Updated at 14.08 EDT

71 min: Ronaldo slices an ambitious effort wide. Then speak of the red devil … here comes Maguire. He replaces Mata.

70 min: It’s been a good day for Harry Maguire, if nobody else associated with United. “This United team is well beyond tactical analysis for me,” begins Matthew Richman. “The level of professional effort from this team is deplorable, and it’s a small wonder why. I wouldn’t be too motivated to play my heart out for a club molded more around marketing prestige than on-pitch success, backed by disliked and largely absent owners. I’ve been a Manchester United fan my whole life, and I will always be so despite all reason, but there is so little that is likeable about this club these days.”

68 min: Fernandes takes a pop from distance. His shot is deflected wide left. Corner. The set piece is worked long to Fernandes, who sends a screamer through a thicket of players but straight at Sanchez, who parries. Brighton have been sensational today, and Sanchez has more than done his bit.

67 min: One corner leads to another. Before it can be taken, Mac Allister makes way for Webster. The second corner is cleared confidently by De Gea.

65 min: It should be five. Gross and Mac Allister pour through a huge gap in the United defence. Mac Allister is waiting to tap home near the left-hand post, when Dalot arrives and takes the ball off his toe. It pings off the base of the post and out for a corner. United look punch drunk.

63 min: “You’re not fit to wear the shirt.” Not sure who’s singing that, whether it’s the United fans berating this rabble, or Brighton supporters taking the mick. It could be either or both, couldn’t it. United try to respond, Mata crossing from the left, Cavani flashing a header goalwards. Sanchez parries clear. Nothing’s going United’s way.

Cavani head goalwards. Photograph: Manchester United/Getty Images

Updated at 14.24 EDT

62 min: There’s a long VAR check, but the ball hit Trossard in the midriff. Welbeck wasn’t offside, either. The referee points to the centre circle, and can anybody believe what’s going on here?!

GOAL! Brighton 4-0 Manchester United (Trossard 60)

Brighton’s fans give it the olés … then, if that’s not embarrassing enough for United, Gross slips a pass down the inside-right channel for Welbeck, who enters the box and looks to lob De Gea. Dalot acrobatically scoops off the line, but only slams the ball into Trossard’s chest. Trossard trundles home, and United are falling to bits like cake left out in the rain. Oh no nooo!

Trossard scores their fourth goal. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images/Reuters

Updated at 14.06 EDT

58 min: Ronaldo reacts to the goal by shrugging his shoulders and smiling wryly. What can a man do?

GOAL! Brighton 3-0 Manchester United (Gross 57)

This is an astonishing goal! Sanchez sprays a diagonal pass towards Cucurella on the left touchline. Cucurella traps and rolls infield for Trossard, who strolls into United’s box and lays off for Gross, who takes a touch to round Varane on the left, then steers a shot across De Gea and into the bottom right. A peach of a move!

56 min: Mata latches onto a poor clearing header from Veltman. On the edge of the D, he swivels and volleys the dropping ball straight down Sanchez’s throat. A decent effort out of not very much, by some distance United’s best this evening.

55 min: Mata’s speculative ball forward is headed out by Dunk for a corner. The set piece is a nervy shambles which Dalot tries to rescue with a shot from distance. Miles over the bar. The camera catches De Gea up the other end; he wears the look of a man who can’t believe what’s going on in front of him.

53 min: Mata crosses from the left. Cucurella eyebrows the ball away from danger. Brighton counter. Welbeck probes down the left. He’s forced to check back, but then Gross releases March down the right with a cute backheel. March’s low cross is hacked clear by Lindelof.

51 min: In fact, a three-goal lead wouldn’t flatter Brighton, and they nearly get it as Trossard twists and turns his way down the left, reaching the corner of the six-yard box. He can’t find a team-mate with his dinked cross and United clear their lines. The visitors are all over the place at the back.

GOAL! Brighton 2-0 Manchester United (Cucurella 49)

A first Brighton goal for Cucurella … and what a goal! A throw on the right. Mac Allister chests down and fires low through the six-yard box. Trossard retrieves the ball on the left and cuts back for Cucurella, who roofs a rising thrash into the top left! Brighton deserve this scoreline.

Cucurella scores Brighton’s second goal. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images An emotional Cucurella celebrates scoring. Photograph: Ian Walton/Reuters

Updated at 13.51 EDT

47 min: Dalot goes into the book for a reckless, frustrated slide on Mac Allister.

Brighton get the second half underway. United have been behind at half-time on nine previous occasions this season: they’ve gone on to lose seven and draw two. Hoping to buck this trend, they’ve brought on Cavani and Fred in place of Matic and Elanga. “Mata, Matic. and Bruno means Man U are pretty slow footed in midfield,” begins Gene Salorio. “Not exactly a good fit for the counters that Rangnick mentions in your lead-in to the MBM. Solskjær was limited but I remain mystified as to how Rangnick is an improvement.”

A lovely moment at half time. As Iain Pearson mentioned on 17 minutes, Brighton saved their league status 25 years ago at Hereford’s expense. The club was on its uppers back then, with so much on their mind that they didn’t get round to naming a player of the year. That’s been fixed now with a fan vote, and Stuart Storer has been named as 1996-97 player of the year. All smiles, he was handed a silver platter as reward. Wonderful scenes.

Half-time entertainment. A big, potentially season-defining game at Anfield follows this match. Barry Glendenning will be on MBM duty, but in the meantime, here’s Barney Ronay’s preview.

HALF TIME: Brighton 1-0 Manchester United

This scoreline flatters United. Brighton are passing around them at will. If they don’t get their act together, they’ll lose their fifth away game in a row, the sort of sequence they’ve not suffered since the days of Dave Sexton.

45 min: Ronaldo is booked for a poor sliding tackle on Dunk. It wasn’t malicious, simply mistimed to a comical degree, Ronaldo clipping his opponent’s ankle in slow-motion instalments. Action ideally accompanied by slide whistle and cymbal.

Ronaldo is shown a yellow card by referee Andy Madley. Photograph: James Marsh/REX/Shutterstock

Updated at 13.36 EDT

44 min: Mac Allister, March, Bissouma and Gross draw some pretty triangles down the inside-right channel and nearly open United up. Mac Allister is caught offside.

43 min: Sanchez larrups long. Varane miscontrols, with De Gea on walkabout. Welbeck nips in between the pair and tries to lob the stranded keeper. He gets too much on it, the ball floating over the bar. Big chance to double Brighton’s lead.

42 min: United make a meal of clearing the free kick, and Brighton want a penalty for an alleged McTominay handball. Neither referee nor VAR shows any interest.

41 min: A frustrated Matic needlessly barges March in the back, and this is a free kick just to the right of the United penalty area. Everyone loads the box. Gross to take.

40 min: Gross shovels a pass down the right to release March into acres of space. Fortunately for United, March’s cutback is no good.

39 min: Ronaldo hoofs an awful free kick miles over the bar. The home fans jeer/ cheer ironically.

Ronaldo shoots over from a free-kick. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

Updated at 13.27 EDT

38 min: Fernandes dribbles down the centre and is clumsily clipped by Caicedo. A free kick, 25 yards out, in a central position. Ronaldo’s eyes light up.