BEVERLY HILLS, April 05, (THEWILL) – An overall drab display by Manchester United was the highlight of their first half performance in Sunday’s home fixture against relegation-battling Brighton and Hove Albion before the prolific young talents Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford inspired a second half comeback to make sure Danny Welbeck’s opener did not haunt them.
A former Old Trafford lad, Welbeck endured a stifled start to his senior career with the Red Devils that included loan stints before he moved to north London for the opportunity to realise his potential. At the Emirates, in the fold of the Gunners, he honed a habit of scoring against the Red Devils, a feat he repeated in Brighton’s colours on Sunday in the 13th minute.
Going behind by an early goal ought to have jolted second-placed United to raise their game and go all out in a swift response in the manner of Tottenham Hotspur against Newcastle earlier in the day especially with the typical nature of Brighton to impress and fall short at the same time, but that failed to happen.
It took the half time chat from coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before they kicked into gear, remembering their need to stay focused on the drive to retain their second place in the standings now that there were reinvigorated clubs determined to engage in an end-of-season contest for the juicy top-four places that guarantee European elite football next season.
The revival began with the fit-again Rashford, who marked his return with a well taken equaliser, two minutes after the hour mark. His teammate Greenwood, who also needed to be passed fit after recovering from his own injury, headed home the winner in the 83rd minute, to keep United 14 points off the top though having played one game more than city rivals and Champions-Elect, Man City.
A knee injury sustained by Anthony Martial kept him out of contention for the tie and it may be the end of his season but United fared well without him in their second half rebound, which helped them tighten their grip on second place. If they can keep that hold for the rest of the season, they will have done themselves a remarkable favour.
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.
