Manchester United Suffer 3-1 Defeat To Brighton as Onana Error Compounds Misery

Manchester United slumped to a disappointing 3 -1 loss against Brighton, adding to Ruben Amorim’s growing challenges on a day when Old Trafford paid a solemn tribute to club legend Denis Law with the hosts not helped by a howler from goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Hoping to honor the memory of Law, who passed away at the age of 84, United aimed to deliver the kind of thrilling performance synonymous with his era. However, they fell short, suffering their sixth defeat in 11 league matches since Amorim took over from the dismissed Erik ten Hag.

United now sit in 13th place, 10 points clear of the relegation zone but far from assured of safety based on this lackluster display.

Yankuba Minteh opened the scoring early for Brighton, setting the tone for United’s uninspired performance. While Bruno Fernandes managed to level the score with a penalty before the break, second-half goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter sealed Brighton’s victory and deepened United’s woes.

After a gritty draw at Liverpool, an FA Cup third- round win with 10 men at Arsenal and a 3-1 win over lowly Southampton, United looked as if they might have turned a corner.

But, in truth, they were luck to beat Southampton and all their flaws were laid bare against a dynamic Brighton team who have won six of their last seven league meetings with United.

Amorim’s side have failed to keep a clean-sheet in 12 matches in all competitions, with both their leaky defence and error-prone keeper Andre Onana exposed by Brighton.

It was a depressing result on an emotional day for Manchester United after Law passed away on Friday.

Law, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia in 2021, is the third top scorer in United’s history, with 237 goals in 404 appearances.

Law was a member of United’s European Cup-winning squad under Matt Busby in 1968, when they became the first English club to lift the trophy, though he was injured for the final.

Dubbed Scotland’s greatest ever player by Ferguson, Law is the only player from his country to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or.