Manchester United beat Brighton in dramatic fashion at Amex Stadium when Bruno Fernandes’ last gasp penalty gave the Red Devils a 3-2 victory.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were left behind thanks to a penalty from Neal Maupay in the first half, but drew just before half-time when Harry Maguire influenced Lewis Dunk’s own goal.
Marcus Rashford’s brilliant solo goal gave the visitors the lead just moments after Brighton had another chalked penalty via VAR.
Bruno Fernandes’ last gasp penalty gave Manchester United a 3-2 away from home in Brighton
The Graham Potter side, who hit the wood five times throughout the match, thought it had finally leveled off in the last minute of the stoppage after Solly March’s header off the back post, but the drama hadn’t stopped at the time. .
Maupay drove into the penalty area just before the referee blew out for full time, but Chris Kavanagh checked the VAR as the players shook hands and signaled the point. Fernandes dispatched the penalty to save Solskjaer’s blushes.
Here are the post-match player ratings at the Amex …
Brighton (3-4-3):
Mat Ryan – 6
Powerless to avoid any of United’s goals, well distributed.
Ben White – 6
It faded in the second half after a promising opening. Left for dead by Rashford’s brilliance in preparation for United’s second.
Ben White (right) was left for dead when Marcus Rashford (left) put United 2-1 in front
Lewis Dunk – 6
Dominant display, a little hesitant about United’s draw that allowed Maguire to intervene.
Aaron Webster – 6
Looping header hit the crossbar in the first half. Solid if a little hesitant when taking the ball from behind.
Tariq Lamptey – 7
He won the penalty in the first half, a real threat from the right wing. It faded slightly in the second half, but another solid performance from the teenager.
It was another brilliant performance from Tariq Lamptey (left) who earned another penalty in the first half.
Adam Lallana – 7
Marshalled Pogba well, he provided great energy. Replaced in 74 minutes when Brighton went looking for the tie.
Steven Alzate – 8
Excellent on the ball, Brighton continued to perform in midfield. Regrettable to be on the losing side.
Solly March – 7
He grabbed the tie in injury time and will rightly be aggrieved for being on the losing end after a promising display.
Leandro Trossard (right) hit the wood three times at Amex Stadium against United
Leandro Trossard – 6
Hit the carpentry three separate times, worked hard throughout. He will curse his luck in the face of goal.
Aaron Connolly – 7
Busy and managing the channels well, he never let United’s defenders settle down. Replaced in 74 minutes.
Neal Maupay – 7
From hero to villain after the cheeky panenka left De Gea red-faced, judged for having handled the ball, leading United to penalize him to death.
Neal Maupay (above) scored his third goal of the season to put Graham Potter’s team in front
Substitutes:
Gross Pascal – 6
He replaced Lallana in the 74th minute, played some good passes and kept the ball well.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh – 5
He replaced Connolly in 74 minutes, struggled to make an impact at the end.
Not used: Steele, Bernard, Burn, Veltman, Molumby
Manchester United (4-2-3-1)
David De Gea – 7
Left reddened by Maupay’s penalty. He seemed more confident than in recent weeks, he made a vital late stop to deny Trossard.
David De Gea was left red-faced by the Maupay penalty and made a vital save to deny Trossard
Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 6
He struggled at times on defense and sloppy on possession. However, strong at the tackle and looked threatening going forward.
Victor Lindelof – 6
Kept busy by the industrious Brighton Front Three. Take on any aerial danger with authority. You still have doubts about your abilities in 1v1 situations.
Harry Maguire – 6
He forced a tie at a time when United desperately needed him. Better in possession than in recent weeks, still hesitant at times in defensive situations.
United captain Harry Maguire (right) played a major role in the tie and later won a late penalty
Luke Shaw – 6
It was difficult to deal with the lively Lamptey at first, but he better moved forward and won the free kick that led to United’s draw.
Paul Pogba – 5
Too casual in possession at times, he struggled to have a real impact on the game. VAR penalty control survived at the beginning of the second half. Replaced in 64 minutes.
Paul Pogba (left) was sloppy in possession and almost gave away a penalty in the second half
Nemanja Matic – 6
He worked hard and provided Maguire with the equalizer. Too slow to throw the ball sometimes.
Mason Greenwood – 6
One of his calmest days in front of goal, he wore a threat against him. Replaced in 82 minutes.
Bruno Fernandes – 8
He brilliantly maintained his composure to convert the late penalty. It provided two more quality moments in preparation for Maguire’s draw and Rashford’s second well earned.
Bruno Fernandes grabbed one goal and played an important role in the other two in United’s victory
Marcus Rashford – 7
He got his goal in an excellent way, he seems to be growing in confidence, United hope they can move on from here.
Anthony Martial – 6
Calmer day in front of goal. A physical presence but struggled to make an impact.
Marcus Rashford (above) seems to be gaining confidence this season and scored a goal
Substitutes:
Fred 6
He replaced Pogba in the 64th minute, ordered in possession.
Eric Bailly – N / A
He replaced Greenwood after 82 minutes.
Donny Van de Beek – N / A
Marcial replaced after 90 minutes.
Not used: Henderson, Bailly, Lingard, Fred, Fosu-Mensah, McTominay
Referee: Chris Kavanagh 7
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