83 min Mason Greenwood is replaced by Eric Bailly, which means United will switch to a back three for the last seven minutes.
83 min Dunk is booked for a foul on Rashford.
80 min Lamptey’s cross hits the head of Lindelof and reaches March beyond the far post. His shot is deflected over the bar by the sliding Wan-Bissaka, a very important intervention.
79 min Brighton are really on top now.
76 min: Trossard hits the bar! This is ridiculous. He’s hit the woodwork three times, Brighton have hit it five times. Jahanbakhsh clipped a lovely crossfield pass to find him in space in the inside-left channel. An immaculate first touch set him up to blast a left-footed shot that beat de Gea for pace and thumped off the bar.
76 min Fernandes has had a fairly quiet game, yet he has still made both goals. He is so important to this team.
75 min Fernandes’ free-kick is only half cleared to Martial, whose shot is blocked by White. Rashford then has another effort blocked.
74 min A double change for Brighton: Pascal Gross and Alireza Jahanbakhsh replace Connolly and Lallana.
74 min White is booked for a foul on Luke Shaw.
71 min White makes a vital tackle on Martial in the area. Fernandes’ beautiful pass put Martial through, and he was about to shoot when White appeared to poke the ball away.
68 min Maupay does very well to win the ball on the edge of the United area, fight his way past a couple of players and manufacture a shot that is comfortably saved by de Gea.
65 min A Manchester United change: Fred replaces Paul Pogba, who didn’t have a great game.
63 min Trossard finds March in space on the left edge of the area. He beats Greenwood with ease and hammers a cross that is cleared at the near post by Lindelof. Brighton still look very dangerous.
62 min United break dangerously, only for Martial to play a poor pass to Shaw in the area. They’ve been a lot better in the second half.
61 min “Connolly is a fine player and has put my heart in my throat multiple times today, but how has he not been booked for diving yet?” says Matthew Richman. “That last one ahead of Maguire was especially egregious.”
60 min The scoreline is so harsh on Brighton. It’s even harsher now: March has hit the post! That’s the fourth time they’ve hit the woodwork. Brighton worked the ball beautifully from right to left, with Maupay eventually finding March in space on the left side of the area. He dragged a low shot across goal that beat de Gea and bounced off the inside of the post.
60 min “Poor Ben White,” says Mary Waltz. “Rashford made him look like a puppet on a string. Wonderful.”
59 min “Surely Henrik Larsson was United’s last successful panic signing?” says Nick Parish. “Didn’t stay long but had a huge impact. Is he still playing?”
Henrik Larsson was a glorious footballer but I never understood all the excitement about his time at United. He was fine but he didn’t really do much, and he kept Saha (who had been instrumental in United’s rebirth that season) out of the side.
58 min Connolly goes over again in the area, this time after a challenge from behind by Maguire. Chris Kavanagh says no penalty and VAR agrees. There was a slight shove from Maguire but not enough for a foul.
That was such a cool finish. Fernandes put him clear in the inside-left channel with a lovely pass. Rashford cut into the area, dummied to shoot and beat White. Then he ran past the covering Dunk, dummied to shoot again and twisted away from White a second time. Finally he battered a left-footed shot that hit the lunging Dunk and flew into the net. It was on target so it’s Rashford’s goal.
Marcus Rashford scores a beauty!
Marcus Rashford of Manchester United scores their second goal. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/NMC Pool/EPA
54 min United’s tempo has been much better since half-time, which suggests they received an appreciable brollocking from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
53 min VAR’s having a blinder.
Yep, Rashford was just offside when he slid Greenwood’s cross past Ryan at the near post.
Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford slips the ball into the net but the goal is disallowed for offside upon a VAR review. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/NMC Pool/Reuters
That’s a cracking finish, though he might be offside.
51 min I don’t know what to make of that. I don’t think it would have been overturned last season, so VAR is improving.
NO PENALTY Connolly stepped across Pogba and went over. I don’t think it was a foul, and Chris Kavanagh has reversed his decision.
VAR pending The referee has gone across to look at the pitchside monitor, so maybe it will be overturned.
47 min: PENALTY TO BRIGHTON! Connolly went over after a clumsy challenge from Pogba, who has been booked. It’s pretty soft - Pogba didn’t do much wrong as Connolly stepped across him - but I’m not sure it will be overturned.
46 min Peep peep! Brighton begin the second half.
“Maguire really should score more goals considering how often he wins the ball at set pieces in the opposition box,” says David Wall. “You’d think that would be the difficult part especially as he so often gets a clean contact. He has the potential to be as prolific as Steve Bruce used to be (aside from the penalties) if he worked on his finishing more.”
Yep, agreed, although at the moment his biggest concern is the day job.
“They lost the first two in 1992-93 as well, a season that picked up somewhat,” says Robert Hanley. “Cantona arrived soon after, the last successful panic signing at United.”
Of course they did, FFS. 1986-87 was the last time they lost the first three.
Half-time reading
Fans or no fans, this will be a belter.
“Hi Rob,” says Wayne Farrell. “the problem with Man Utd is that all their best players are in really bad form, Rashford, Martial, Fernandez, Maguire, Pogba. Although it’s debatable if Pogba is one of Man Utd’s best players cause in my opinion since he’s been moved deeper he has no impact on games at all, a complete passenger, a 5 or 6 every game which for an £89m player is farcical.
“I think the fact that so many players are in bad form is the responsibility of the coaching team. Motivation and confidence comes from them. The team seem to be strangers together, really remind of the England team in most international tournaments (expect 2018 WC).”
What is hard to reconcile is that the same players looked so good in June and July. The key is Fernandes; he’s the rug that really ties the room together. He needs more creative support, which is why I’d play van de Beek alongside Matic.
Peep peep! That was a difficult half for United, who were outplayed by an excellent Brighton side. Brighton hit the woodwork three times before Neal Maupay gave them the lead with a Panenka, but they had been ahead for only three minutes when Lewis Dunk scored an own goal.
45 min Matic’s long-range shot is patted down by Ryan.
The goal came from a free-kick just outside the area on the left wing. Fernandees absolutely hammered it towards the far post, where Matic did well to push the ball back into the middle from the byline. Maguire and Dunk challenged for it on the six-yard line and it ended up in the net. It looks like an own goal.
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Lewis Dunk scores an own goal as he challenges for the ball with Manchester United’s Harry Maguire. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/NMC Pool/Reuters
Here’s a view of the goal from the other side of the net. Photograph: John Sibley/NMC Pool/Reuters
United are level!
42 min The last time United lost their first two league games was in 1986-87, Ron Atkinson’s last season as manager.
41 min Matic is booked for a hand-off into Connolly’s face.
That was a delicious bit of arrogance. He kissed the ball softly down the middle as de Gea dived to his left.
Maupay scores with an outrageous Panenka!
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Neal Maupay takes his penalty . Photograph: Glyn Kirk/NMC Pool/PA Images
And Brighton have the lead. Photograph: Richard Pelham/NMC Pool
Lamptey cut across Fernandes and brushed his leg. He knew what he was doing but it’s still a penalty. It all stemmed from a mistake by Wan-Bissaka, who was harassed into losing the ball by March.
PENALTY TO BRIGHTON! Bruno Fernandes has been penalised for a clumsy challenge on Lamptey. I don’t think this will be overturned.
37 min March plays an excellent pass to leave Connolly one against one with Maguire. Connolly is slightly indecisive, though, and Matic gets back to dispossess him. That was a chance.
36 min “United has too much quality to be playing this constipated brand of football,” says Mary Waltz.
It’s fascinating - and slightly alarming - how different they look from the team that hammered Brighton here in June. Especially as it’s the same starting XI.
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