Manchester United Dominate Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2, Mbeumo the Star of the Match

Karun Abraham

Sports Journalist

“From 3-0 cruising to a nervy finish and back again, United’s blend of set-piece punch and transition speed finally broke the Brighton hoodoo.”

Dominating win for Manchester United

Manchester United made it three league wins in a row with a 4-2 victory over Brighton at Old Trafford, moving into the top four and backing up last weekend’s statement win. Matheus Cunha opened his United account (24’), Casemiro doubled the lead (34’), and Bryan Mbeumo put United 3-0 up just past the hour (61’). Brighton hit back through Danny Welbeck (74’) and Charalampos Kostoulas (90+2’), before Mbeumo settled it at 90+6’. To be part of such exciting matches, book your Premier League tickets via 1BoxOffice for genuine seats at reasonable prices.

First Half - Cunha’s first, Casemiro’s deflection

The home team had the advantage and they used it to their full, pressing Brighton till a breakthrough happened in the 24th minute with Cunha scored an edge shot into the net, making the score 1-0. From then on it was shot after shot, leading to a skidding shot by Casamiro in the 34th minute, doubling the lead to 2-0.

Brighton was not silent during this time as the threat from them was real, with Walbeck and Pedro using the pockets United left, but the home team was quick to shut any shots down, and the pressure was maintained with the 2-0 lead.

Second Half - Dominating scoreline, a wobble, and Mbeumo’s clincher

Scoreline leverage arrived on 61 minutes when Mbeumo squeezed a low shot through Lewis Dunk’s legs and inside the near post for 3-0. Old Trafford exhaled briefly. Brighton rallied: a spell of front-foot possession won a free-kick on the edge, and Welbeck whipped a superb strike into the far corner for 3-1 on 74’. Deep into stoppage time, Kostoulas glanced in a corner for 3-2, turning the closing minutes tense.

United answered instantly. From the restart, they broke Brighton’s press with one clean vertical pass; Bruno Fernandes let it run, and Mbeumo lashed home on 90+6’ to restore the two-goal cushion and seal the points.

Tactical Snapshot

Manchester United

• Targeting the weak side: United frequently overloaded Brighton’s left, then switched quickly to isolate Alejandro Garnacho against the far full-back. That pattern produced repeated entries and the third goal.
• Set-piece/second-phase edge: The opener came from a designed corner sequence; the second from aggressive second-phase positioning, both areas that have been inconsistent this season but clicked here.

Brighton & Hove Albion

• Risk vs reward: Pushing full-backs high widened United’s counter lanes. Chasing the game magnified those spaces, and United’s last two goals arrived from precisely those channels.
• Press triggers: The high press forced errors in spells but was vulnerable to one-touch escapes and diagonals into Rashford/Garnacho.

Standout Performers

• Bryan Mbeumo (Man United) - Player of the Match: Ruthless brace (61’, 90+6’) that book-ended the contest; constant outlet on the break.
• Matheus Cunha (Man United) - Composed opener and tireless pressing from the front.
• Casemiro (Man United) - Big duels in midfield and the deflected second that shifted the match state.
• Bruno Fernandes (Man United) - One assist, tempo control, and savvy movement to unbalance the press.
• Danny Welbeck (Brighton) - Top-drawer free-kick to spark the late surge.
• Charalampos Kostoulas (Brighton) - Impact off the bench; stoppage-time header kept the outcome in doubt.

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Aftermath and Implications

The win gives the Red Devils a vital three points and a template worth bottling: fast wide breaks, tidier rest-defence and a repeatable set-piece threat. With the attack now producing from multiple lanes, the emphasis shifts to maintaining compactness during their own possession to avoid the mid-game lulls that invited Brighton back in.

For the Seagulls, the performance validated their approach in phases, brave build-up, inventive rotations but also highlighted the cost of tiny defensive timings when opponents can counter at pace. Sharper protection of the last line and cleaner first contact on crosses will headline the debrief.

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