“If you can’t win, don’t lose” – Erik ten Hag ‘annoyed’ with sloppy Manchester United defeat to Brighton
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has expressed his annoyance after their defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Thursday, May 4.
The Red Devils lost 1-0 at the Amex Stadium via a second-half stoppage-time penalty from Alexis Mac Allister. Both sides had plenty of chances to score, with Brighton making 22 attempts on goal compared to United's 16. However, neither team could convert their chances.
Just when the game seemed to be headed to a goalless draw, Luke Shaw fouled Julio Enciso resulting in a Brighton freekick. The freekick eventually resulted in a corner.
Shaw then appeared to have handled the ball and after consulting VAR, the referee Andree Mariner gave Brighton a penalty. Mac Allister converted from the spot to help the Seagulls to secure a big win.
After the game, Manchester United manager Ten Hag shared his disappointment, saying (via the Express):
“Every defeat is a disappointment. but in the end, to lose in the last second is annoying. The first minute summed everything up. We created a good chance and weren't clinical enough. In the end, we gave away the goal.”
He added:
“It's annoying because you can't win if you don't finish your opportunities. We have to do our jobs to the end. We lost control and we lost the game. If you can't win, don't lose.”
With the win, Brighton jumped two spots to move into sixth place in the Premier League table. They are eight points behind fourth-placed Manchester United with a game in hand.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi hails football gods after Manchester United win
Brighton & Hove Albion completed a Premier League double over Manchester United on Thursday, having beaten them 2-1 at Old Trafford earlier in the season.
The two sides also met in the FA Cup semi-finals last month. The game ended in a goalless draw after extra time and the Red Devils won via a penalty shootout and will face city rivals Manchester City in the final on June 3.
After the win on Thursday, Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi claimed that his side deserved to win the semi-final clash as well. He hailed the footballing gods as his side took their revenge. He said (via the Express):
“There is a God of football! We deserved to win the semi-final but lost on penalties but today we won with a penalty. In both games I think we played better than United. The last result was unfair.”
Manchester United will next visit West Ham United in the league on Sunday, May 7, while Brighton will host Everton the following evening.