Brighton & Hove Albion gave Manchester United a run for their money, despite the result. In truth, Brighton looked the brighter of the two sides in the first half, only for David de Gea to deny Jakub Moder twice. At the other end of the pitch, the Red Devils had a chance early on, but Jadon Sancho was unable to beat Robert Sanchez.
Manchester United broke the deadlock thanks to Yves Bissouma’s error, as Scott McTominay robbed the Malian before Cristiano Ronaldo unleashed a long-range effort to make it 1-0. Soon after, Brighton was down to ten men after Lewis Dunk was sent off for taking down Anthony Elanga when he was clear through on goal.
Following that, Manchester United dominated the proceedings, but profligacy troubles again. The hosts missed multiple chances to extend their lead and had to wait until the final shot of the game to make it 2-0 and calm the Old Trafford crowd.
Deep into injury time, Bruno Fernandes raced down the length of the field before scoring past Sanchez to put the game out of reach. The 2-0 victory propelled Manchester United back into the top four, while Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have games in hand. Ralf Rangnick’s troops are now ruled by the Hard Tackle.
8/10 for David de Gea
David de Gea continues to save Manchester United’s bacon on a regular basis. On Tuesday, he was crucial in keeping his team in the game when Brighton pressed the hosts. The Spaniard produced three stops to deny Jakub Moder, the second of which was particularly impressive. He can be more effective with the ball, but de Gea’s shot-stopping abilities are unrivaled.
6/10 for Diogo Dalot
When foraying down the right-wing, Dalot struggled to establish himself as an outlet. However, he was once again solid on defense, completing 16 ball recoveries, six more than any other player on the field. He must rediscover his creative instincts.
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6/10 for Victor Lindelof
Rangnick made a last-minute decision to put Lindelof at the center of Manchester United’s defense when Raphael Varane became ill. The Swede was a rock at the back, winning three duels and clearing two balls. However, he displayed some uncharacteristic sloppiness while passing out from the back, which crept into his game.
6/10 for Harry Maguire
Maguire’s performance against Brighton was decent but unspectacular. He maintained an eye on Leandro Trossard, pushing Graham Potter to take the Belgian off after only 15 minutes of the second half. However, the Manchester United captain had some nervous moments on the ball and has to be more confident when advancing play from the back.
6/10 for Luke Shaw
Luke Shaw struggled on the field, especially after Tariq Lamptey came on in the second half. The Englishman, on the other hand, was steady and helped move the ball up the field intelligently, though not particularly creatively. He must take the initiative.
7/10 for Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes had another game of hits and misses. The Portuguese international had a forgettable first half, with his moaning side shining brightly. However, he improved after the break and should have scored half an hour before finally finding the back of the net after being set up by Cristiano Ronaldo. He deserved two assists for great passes to Ronaldo, but he’ll be happy to score late in the game.
6/10 for Scott McTominay
McTominay struggled to make an impact in midfield for the second game in a row, and he couldn’t assist Manchester United to maintain their lead. However, after a disappointing first half, the Scottish international was crucial in helping the hosts break the deadlock, stealing the ball from Yves Bissouma before Ronaldo unleashed his fiercely-driven effort.
5/10 for Fred
Player to Keep an Eye On, In our preview, we predicted that Fred’s comeback would be a huge boost for Manchester United. However, the Brazilian was unusually careless in midfield, losing the ball cheaply in crucial situations, particularly as Brighton pressed higher up the ground in the first half. He improved when Lewis Dunk was fired, but he still has a long way to go.
6.5/10 for Anthony Elanga
Elena was brought in to replace the underperforming Marcus Rashford, but he lacked the cutting edge to make a significant impact. But he was still an improvement over his fellow Manchester United academy product since he didn’t give away possession so easily. When he appeared to be clean through on goal early in the second half, the young Swede was also sent off.
Cristiano Ronaldo receives an 8/10.
Ronaldo has recently come under fire for some of his actions. But he put his problems aside and performed as part of the team against Brighton. The Portuguese international displayed rare selflessness twice to set up Sancho and Bruno Fernandes, only for the attackers to fail to score.
Ronaldo grabbed control of the game early in the second half, delivering a fantastic long-range drive to break the tie, his first goal of 2022. But, on his finest day, Ronaldo could have had a hat-trick, but he failed to convert two clear-cut chances in the second half. Nonetheless, the Manchester United talisman put up an outstanding performance.
7/10 for Jadon Sancho
Sancho’s good form continued on Tuesday, as he put Joel Veltman under pressure every time he touched the ball. However, after being set up by Ronaldo, the Englishman should have done better to convert an early chance. Some of his touches were also unnecessary, and his passing rate dropped dramatically on Tuesday.
