Manchester United ended their fifth game of the Premier League season in defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion. Here are four reasons why...

Clinical Brighton

First and foremost, United’s defeat must be attributed to the opposition. When playing the Red Devils at Old Trafford, they were incredibly clinical.

The Seagulls had three significant scoring opportunities, which led to three goals. Erik ten Hag’s team suffered an especially severe defeat thanks to Danny Welbeck’s first-half goal.

This went entirely against the flow of the game, yet it finally shifted it and placed United on the defensive. In contrast to United, Brighton just took their chances and shown ruthlessness in front of the supporters at Old Trafford.

Bench firepower is woeful

Though it’s true that Hannibal Majbri’s goal after coming in was a fantastic moment for the young player, realistically speaking, United’s changes weren’t quite “game-changing.”

in the 64-minute mark, Mejbri and Anthony Martial came in, with the Tunisian having a great game while the Frenchman was once more conspicuously absent.

It appeared to be a last-ditch effort to score from a player who is just unable to do so. Outside of that starting XI, United does have a serious problem. There isn’t anyone that thrills spectators as a substitution, possibly with the exception of Alejandro Garnacho, who came on way too late.

Noone stepped up

When players aren’t performing, it’s difficult to discern where goals are coming from, which is a concern for United this season.

Although Marcus Rashford had a strong first half, it was clear that no other teammate truly stood up when it was necessary.

The direct dependence already placed on Rasmus Hojlund is concerning. The crowd booed when the Danish striker was substituted, but it’s important to keep in mind that he’s only 20 and this was his first Premier League start.

With no imminent goal-scoring threat, we can’t count on a 20-year-old to get the job done, which is a frightening harbinger of things to come.

Ultimately – Erik ten Hag got it wrong

United chose to use a fresh lineup… This initially appeared to be fantastic, but it soon became clear that Ten Hag had made a mistake.

Brighton truly came to Manchester and controlled the game, had more possession, and made more passes. The Dutchman is largely to blame for this defeat because the mechanism he devised didn’t work.

Now, there is increasing pressure. We wish for quick and positive transformation.