Man United fans are wondering, when was the last time the team confidently won a match? Certainly not in recent matches against Everton, Man City or Brighton. Those were the matches where the "Red Devils" led until the 88th minute, played with more players in 70 minutes, scored 2 goals to lead after only 10 minutes but ultimately still could not win.
The League Cup defeat to Brighton will not be too heavy if Man United this season only focuses on playing well in the Premier League and Champions League. However, these are the arenas where Michael Carrick's team cannot win the championship. Therefore, the most recent defeat at Old Trafford has directly put aside a chance for Man United to win a title this season.
According to Opta Analyst, this is the first time in more than 50 years that Man United has been reversed at home after leading by 2 goals. The last time this happened was in September 1976, also with a similar score of 2-3 against Tottenham Hotspur.
One of the biggest lessons Man United has not yet absorbed is maintaining pressure. After Shea Lacey and Mason Mount scored to put the home team ahead after only 10 minutes, once again, just like previous matches, the entire squad of the "Red Devils" reduced pressure. They no longer played at high speed, rushing into fiery competition.
After Marcus Rashford's free kick in the 12th minute, Man United did not launch any more shots until the end of the first half. As for the opponent, after being led by 2 goals, Brighton took 6 shots before Charalampos Kostoulas scored in injury time of the first half. Man United's defense was easily penetrated by a simple cross to the back of the defender. Before that, Malick Yalcouye could have scored when rushing into the space behind Man United's defense. Pascal Gross also missed a good opportunity.
It was not until Carrick realized it was too late. The moment the greatest hope flashed was when Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes came on as substitutes. They coordinated to create conditions for Marcus Rashford to have a one-on-one sprint against the goal. However, goalkeeper Steele promptly closed the angle and successfully blocked it.
The players had to endure anger from the Old Trafford stands for personal mistakes and deadlock in their playing style. In the final minutes of the match, every missed pass or loss of the ball in midfield was met with disappointing boos from fans. Towards the end of the match, when Man United tried to deploy the ball upwards, Joshua Zirkzee kept the ball in his own half and looked up and saw himself surrounded by 4 Brighton players, while there was no possible passing option. That is a clear reflection of Manchester United's helplessness.
After the match, Carrick apologized to the fans and took full responsibility. However, admitting fault and taking responsibility cannot erase the fact that Man United is too poor. Regardless of the result of the match against Fulham next Sunday, this defeat will certainly be dissected more during the upcoming FIFA Days.
