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If beating Liverpool at Anfield a week ago marked the high point of Ruben Amorim’s first year in charge at Manchester United, this wasn’t far behind.
On an uplifting night at Old Trafford, when joy, jubilation and ultimately relief coursed around this grand old theatre, United put Brighton to the sword to register their third straight win and move into the top-four, however temporary it may be.
Their challenge was building on the Liverpool victory, and they played with a confidence and swagger so badly missing from the performances under Amorim over the last 12 months.
As United turned back the clock and the fans loved it, Sir Jim Ratcliffe – sat up in the directors’ box – must have been quietly congratulating himself for holding his nerve when doubts hung over Amorim’s future just a few weeks ago. Rarely has trust been so richly rewarded.
Let’s not forget that this is a Brighton side that have lorded it over United in recent seasons, winning no fewer than six of the last seven meetings between the two clubs.
But United were excellent and once again it was summer signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo who led the way. Credit to Ineos, they have proved to be two very astute pieces of business.
Ruben Amorim has now won three games in a row for the first time as Man United manager
Bryan Mbeumo was the hero as he scored a brace on a thrilling evening at Old Trafford
Mbeumo scored twice and Cunha once, with United’s other goal coming from Casemiro. Former Old Trafford favourite and Longsight local Danny Welbeck, still in great shape at the age of 34, got his fifth goal in the last four games and Charalampos Kostoulas headed another to set up a tense finish before Mbeumo got his second.
Amorim made two changes to the team that beat Liverpool last week, bringing in Benjamin Sesko and Leny Yoro for Harry Maguire and Mason Mount who both picked up knocks at Anfield.
Fabian Hurzeler, meanwhile, made just the one change following Brighton’s win over Newcastle as Maxim De Cuyper replaced Diego Gomez at left-back.
The game was only 46 seconds old when Bruno Fernandes had a glaring opportunity to celebrate his 300th appearance for the club with a goal.
Mbeumo produced a great touch to bring down the ball down from a crossfield pass and delivered it to the edge of the six-yard box where Fernandes was unmarked. The United captain rose to meet it, but got his bearings all wrong and planted a header well wide.
That moment aside, Brighton settled the better of the two teams and could have gone ahead when Welbeck turned Matthijs de Ligt and accelerated away. His cross into the box invited a finish from Yankuba Minteh, but Mbeumo had tracked back and did enough to put off Brighton’s No.11 who scuffed wide.
It was by no means the only time that United’s forward players got back to help out in defence, which will have delighted Amorim.
When Georginio Rutter got away from Casemiro shortly afterwards and pulled the ball back for Welbeck, a little nudge in the back from Fernandes won’t have helped the former United striker as he fired straight at Senne Lammens.
Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha look astute signings, with the latter getting his first goal here
Casemiro was rewarded for his hard work with a goal as United went fourth in the table
Twice after putting United in front, Cunha was haring around his own box trying to snuff out the danger, closing down Mats Wieffer and chasing Minteh all the way towards goal after his fantastic first touch and mazy run almost opened up United.
Cunha’s goal arrived in the 24th minute and came after the home side had two penalty appeals rejected by referee Anthony Taylor and his colleagues on VAR.
The first was a strong one indeed. Amad Diallo cut inside De Cuyper who raised his right leg behind him and brought down the Ivorian. If there was the slightest touch on the ball before he made contact with Diallo, it was barely discernible.
The second was more in hope than expectation but there was another outcry around Old Trafford nonetheless. Mbeumo intercepted Yasin Ayari’s poor pass to Lewis Dunk across his own box and went down as he brushed past the England defender. Again, Taylor was unconvinced, but Brighton were making problems for themselves and it was to cost them dearly.
When Welbeck failed to control Diallo’s stray square pass across the edge of the Brighton box, and the ball bounced around from Sesko’s flick, Fernandes knocked it to Casemiro who teed up Cunha. The Brazilian took one touch before whipping a shot around Jan Paul van Hecke and into the bottom corner for his first goal since joining United from Wolves in a £62.5million deal.
Brighton contributed to the second goal as well in the 34th minute. Luke Shaw anticipated Van Hecke’s pass out from the back to Rutter, and got a foot in to poke it to Casemiro. He sized up a shot from 20 yards and it hit Ayari in the back before spinning past Bart Verbruggen who was hopelessly wrong-footed.
Sesko had a great chance to make it three before the interval but blazed high and wide, and then tested Verbruggen with a fierce effort straight at the Brighton keeper after the restart. Lammens, meanwhile, weas relieved to see Minteh’s inswinging cross clear the far post.
But United thought they had killed the game off on the hour mark, shortly after Hurzeler had made a triple substitution. Brighton were unhappy that Shaw appeared to tug Rutter’s shirt close to halfway, but the referee once again waved play on and United took full advantage.
Danny Welbeck scored an exquisite free-kick to continue his fine form at the age of 34
Charalampos Kostoulas' 92nd-minute goal set up a nervy finish but Mbeumo had other ideas
United were able to enjoy themselves in front of the crowd at the end - never a guarantee
Diogo Dalot fed the ball to Sesko who passed to Mbeumo, and he fired into the bottom corner through Dunk’s legs.
It was turning into a miserable afternoon for Brighton with Carlos Baleba – linked with a move to United in recent months – doing little to justify the speculation.
They reduced the arrears in the 74th minute after Minteh was sent clear and Patrick Dorgu was lucky to escape a red card for clipping his heels, Taylor and VAR deeming it worthy of only a yellow much to Hurzeler’s disgust.
It was unnecessary as well considering the ball was running through to Lammens, and Welbeck punished his old club by clipping the free kick into the top corner.
Lammens made a flying save to deny Ferdi Kadioglu but Charalampos Kostoulas got on the end of a corner from another substitute, James Milner, as he rose above Joshua Zirkzee to head home in the second minute of added time to set up a nervous finish.
But Mbeumo finally put the result beyond doubt in the 97th minute, racing onto Ayden Heaven’s clever first-time pass to lift a shot over Verbruggen to much jubilation – and relief – around Old Trafford.
