When even the opposition manager finds himself bemused by your misfortune, that’s when Manchester United know that they might have done something to get on the wrong side of Lady Luck.
She certainly favoured Brighton and Hove Albion during Saturday’s early kick off at The Amex.
In the build up to Manchester United’s trip to the South Coast, Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag highlighted the goal Rasmus Hojlund had chalked off during last season’s clash with bogey team Brighton.
Hojlund was denied an equaliser in what would eventually turn into a 3-1 home defeat, Marcus Rashford adjudged to have failed to keep the ball in play before providing the assist.
Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee denied by VAR at Brighton
Eleven months on, Man United were again inches away from being given the green light by VAR.
And, for the second time in the game, an offside call devastated Ten Hag’s team. After a flowing move from back to front, super-sub Alejandro Garnacho appeared to have tapped the ball into an open goal.
That was until the replay showed that Joshua Zirkzee, tumbling towards the goalmouth after throwing himself at the initial shot, knocked the ball over the line with his knee from point-blank range.
After the glory of last week’s winner, here was the gloom.
While Roberto de Zerbi was breathing a sigh of relief back in 2023, it was Fabian Hurzeler’s turn to gift Lady Luck with a bouquet of flowers and a kiss on the cheek this time around.
“It was lucky we didn’t concede the second goal,” Hurzeler tells TNT Sports (24th August, 3pm). “But that was a wake up moment.”
As is often the case when such tight calls are decided by VAR, the team who got the rub of the green found themselves re-energised. Brighton would end up securing their fifth win in their last seven Premier League meetings with Manchester United thanks to some slack back-post defending and a cool Joao Pedro header.
Erik ten Hag demands better from Red Devils
“At least (we) should have taken a draw. We could have won as well if that goal from Zirkzee, Garnacho, that incident…,” Ten Hag tells BBC Sport, the £35 million summer signing spotted explaining what had happened to his manager at full-time.
“I think it was difficult, In the moment, he was in the slide. If he read the situation better, it was maybe avoidable but you can do nothing about it. When you are in the slide, you can do nothing.
“I asked him and of course (he gave me) an explanation. It’s tough. But we created many more chances to score the second goal. And I’m very pleased. We showed resilience and we fought back and we got a goal with Amad.
“I have seen some good spells. We took control of the game, created good chances and it’s a pity that we are without any points. But that is top football and you have to take it.
“Now, we have to show resilience, get up and go for the next big game that is coming up.”
For the second time in three matches, Man United were consigned to a defeat after conceding a goal late on.
Ten Hag, who also confirmed an injury issue for Mason Mount, admits that his side’s game management simply must ‘improve’.
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