After coming through the home game vs Fulham with three points in nervy circumstances, Manchester United turn their attention to Brighton.
Erik ten Hag’s side will travel to the south coast to take on the team which is riding a wave of momentum, having beaten Everton 3-0 away from home last time out.
Like Manchester United, injuries ruined last season for them, and with players back now and a new, exciting manager at the helm, they are a tricky proposition.
Here’s the match breakdown and Brighton vs Man United prediction as the Red Devils seek to make it two wins out of two to start the league.
Match breakdown
Right off the bat, it’s clear that Noussair Mazraoui’s trial by fire as a fullback in the Premier League is not stopping anytime soon.
After coming through his duel vs Tete and Adama Traore in remarkable fashion, next up is Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh.
The wing pair was electric vs Everton and with United still missing a natural left-back, Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot will have a lot to deal with.
Up top is a familiar name in Danny Welbeck, who is coming off a goalscoring outing vs Everton. If Harry Maguire is not risked from the start, Matthijs de Ligt will face a unique threat of Welbeck’s movement plus Joao Pedro running from deep to create overloads.
Brighton showed in their first league game that they like to dominate possession and with this being their first home game of the season, they will undoubtedly prefer to impose themselves.
That could actually play into United’s hands as they still look best working on transitions, with Ten Hag’s split striker formation giving great results vs Manchester City.
It is a formation he used at the end of last season away to Brighton as well, when United emerged victorious in a venue that has traditionally been unforgiving for them.
Expect that to continue and United to play without a natural striker despite Joshua Zirkzee’s goalscoring debut just because the opponent and the situation demand it.
Brighton vs Man United prediction
It is fairly easy to assume that Brighton will start like a house on fire. Therefore, the one thing United cannot afford to do is get blown away by the early storm.
Be it through recycling possession or by standing firm in the face of the intense press, they cannot go down a goal or two within the first 15-20 minutes.
There will be opportunities on transition and the running threat of Marcus Rashford and Amad vs Joel Veltman, in particular, is a clear attacking plan.
Casemiro will need to continue his defensive discipline, Mason Mount will run his socks off again, and Kobbie Mainoo will be the press-resistant progressor from the deep.
Early weathering of the storm should lead to the game opening up for United which they need to take advantage of by being clinical, something they haven’t been this season so far. If the finishing clicks, this game is there for the taking, albeit in a nervy, closely-fought contest.
United in Focus predicts Brighton 1-2 Man United.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
