Premier League 2019-20: Manchester United 3-1 Brighton & Hove Albion - 5 Hits and Flops
Manchester United were hoping to bounce back from last week’s defeat at the hands of Bournemouth in the Premier League when they welcomed Graham Potter’s high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion to Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Red Devils did manage to secure a comfortable victory against Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League during the midweek and their performance in that game must have given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men loads of confidence going into the game against the Seagulls. However, the 20-time league champions couldn’t afford any complacency against a Brighton side who have been in inspiring form lately.
The Red Devils enjoyed a solid start to the game, scoring twice inside the first 20 minutes of the game. However, they failed to continue the same energy for the rest of the half, which allowed the Seagulls back into the game. Graham Potter's men started the second half with purpose and got back into the game courtesy of a Lewis Dunk header from a corner.
However, the Red Devils were quick to restore their two-goal advantage all thanks to a Marcus Rashford goal from inside the box. After that, Manchester United displayed some exhilarating football and could have scored a couple more. However, some poor finishing and the resilience from Brighton keeper Mat Ryan kept the scoreline at 3-1.
While several players impressed, others failed to live up to the expectations. Here are 5 hits and flops from the game:
#5 Hit: Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire, who was named the captain for the evening, produced an astute defensive display against Brighton. The 26-year-old marshalled the United backline excellently and was always on the cover when Brandon Williams was caught out of position. The thing that impressed the most from his performance against the Seagulls was his reading of the game.
The centre-back stepped up in midfield to snatch the ball from the feet of the opposition attackers, which started the United counter-attacks on numerous occasions. Maguire would be gutted not to come away with a clean sheet from the game given his performance, however, his performance would give him something to cherish.
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