Brighton’s 95th-minute winner denies United after bizarre offside

Fabian Hürzeler, at 31, is the youngest-ever permanent Premier League coach. This was proclaimed before kick-off just in case anyone had not noticed how progressive and open minded Brighton is. He may be a young man, the German says, but he is not a young manager as he stopped playing aged 23 to concentrate on coaching.
And there was nothing to indicate that Hürzeler, who won his opening fixture away at Everton, has much to learn. His Brighton & Hove Albion side were as adept tactically as Manchester United and much more dangerous. Where Erik ten Hag’s team provided bursts of individual class, Brighton were the more cohesive unit. They were also the more emotionally robust and sealed victory deep into added time when their opponents had begun to look exhausted.
It began well enough for United. Diogo Dalot battled for and won the ball, scampered forward and delivered an elegant cross for Amad Diallo whose volley was relatively clumsy. The Ivorian’s curling free kick was an improvement although Casemiro, who met it and headed over, seemed to complain about its trajectory. United, though, dominated the opening exchanges. The home side produced some slick passing moves but Ten Hag’s defence snuffed them out before they could become truly threatening.
And yet there was a sense that Brighton could shift up a gear and this they did on the half-hour mark when João Pedro’s cross evaded the United back line, reached Kaoru Mitoma who calmly teed up Danny Welbeck for his 100th career goal, leaving Harry Maguire to explain to his team-mates that he simply could not reach the ball to clear the danger. Maguire, though, was not the only culprit. A poor pass from Marcus Rashford gave possession to Billy Gilmour who set the move in motion. Thereafter the slouched body language of Rashford was probably not what his manager would have wanted to witness.
Ten Hag took off the largely ineffectual Mason Mount at half-time and replaced him with Joshua Zirkzee, who had scored on his debut against Fulham. Brighton emerged the more ebullient, however, and James Milner would have scored after Pedro had muscled Lisandro Martínez off the ball but for the alert goal line clearance of Dalot. A Welbeck header, unopposed, should have troubled André Onana more than it did. His next headed effort, from Yankuba Minteh’s free kick, hit the woodwork.
It was pressure that needed to yield a goal because shortly afterwards United equalised after Diallo’s shot was shepherded over the line by Jan Paul van Hecke as the Brighton defender slid in to try to clear.
Alejandro Garnacho replaced Rashford and thought he had given United the lead but Zirkzee helped the ball over the line with his knee from an offside position and the decision went against the visitors.
Milner, 38, was warmly applauded when replaced after giving his all. A new manager might have scoffed at the notion of making a 38-year-old an integral part of the team but Hürzeler recognises just how much of the pitch the former Liverpool utility player can cover with intelligence and intensity.
In spite of tales of reconciliation, Jadon Sancho was again not in the matchday squad having been left out of the opening game of the campaign against Fulham with Ten Hag reiterating that every player has to fight for their place – and there is more of a battling spirit to United this season.
Casemiro and Julio Enciso came close with a chance each to seal a win but in the fifth minute of added time, it was the excellent Pedro who ensured all three points belonged to Brighton. The goal came from a recycled corner kick with Simon Adingra lofting the ball to the far post where the Brighton forward had far too much time and space to pick his spot.
Brighton (4-2-3-1): J Steele 7- J Hinshelwood 7, L Dunk 7, JP van Hecke 7, J Veltman 7-B Gilmour 6 (Y Ayani, 90), J Milner 8 (C Baleba, 73)-K Mitoma 7(S Adingra, 90), Joao Pedro 8, Y Minteh 6 (G Rutter, 90)- D Welbeck 7 (J Enciso, 79). Booked: van Hecke
United (4-2-4): A Onana 6-D Dalot 7, L Martinez 6, H Maguire 6 (M de Ligt, 79), N Mazraoui 6-K Mainoo 7, Casemiro 7- A Diallo 7 (Antony, 90), B Fernandes 7 (S McTominay, 79), M Mount 6 (J Zirkzee, 46 6), M Rashford 6 (A Garnacho, 65 7). Booked: Amad Diallo, Mainoo.
Referee C Pawson. Attendance 31,876.