May 07, (THEWILL) – On Saturday evening, Brighton and Hove Albion humiliated Manchester United at the Amex Community Stadium in the English Premier League, winning 4-0 and dominating the game from start to end.
The Seagulls, who had only scored 12 times at home in the Premier League all season before kick-off, were in dreamland after a flurry of second-half goals from Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross, and Leandro Trossard got them to four.
The visitors got off to a bad start and they were completely passive for the first 15 minutes. Brighton did not have to work hard to be comfortably ahead in the first half, but they scored their goal when Caicedo, a self-confessed United fan, blasted a low shot into the net.
Ralf Rangnick will have questions to ask and answer about his team’s failure to defuse the threats and delayed reaction, which gave the Ecuadorian teenager too much time to hit the bottom corner.
United did not wake up until they were down, and then Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic both squandered half-chances.
However, Brighton quickly reclaimed control, and Danny Welbeck should have increased the advantage when Raphael Varane’s terrible touch offered him an opportunity with David de Gea isolated, but the ex-United man’s lob failed to hit the target.
Away fans who expected a half-time improvement in their players were disappointed as just two minutes into the second half, Brighton scored their second goal. Cucurella sent Trossard’s cutback high into the net and similar to the first time United failed to clear the danger.
Mata took United’s first shot on target after 55 minutes, looping a volley goalward that was straight at Robert Sanchez.
Brighton retaliated by scoring a third goal. The visitors put no pressure on the ball, as the Seagulls moved it from back to front in seconds. Cucurella was found by a long Sanchez pass, who then sent the ball to Trossard, who himself laid it to Gross for a shockingly easy goal.
The meltdown had already begun at that point. Welbeck got through on goal with the United defence nowhere to be seen. Diogo Dalot deflected his far-post dink, but only onto Trossard’s midriff on the goal-line, where the ball was bundled in for 4-0.
Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes sought to cut the deficit but Sanchez was alert enough to preserve his clean sheet. Brighton should have added a fifth when Alexis Mac Allister exchanged passes in the penalty area and inexplicably bundled the ball into the outside of the post rather than in.
After that, United went for damage control. Rangnick brought in Harry Maguire to the back line INA defensive substitution. Ironically, the returning captain came close to scoring a consolation goal, but Sanchez was up to the task. Cavani then nudged the ball into the goal, but he was called offside.
It was a result that meant that Rangnick’s side are on course for their worst Premier League finish ever. With two games remaining in the season, Brighton are now in ninth place with 47 points.
Brighton will play Leeds on the road next Sunday, while United will have two weeks to prepare for their last Premier League match of the season against Crystal Palace.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
