Man Utd Fall 3-1 to Brighton as Onana's Error Deepens Struggles
Andre Onana's mistake contributes to United's loss, while Spurs suffer another defeat at Everton.
Manchester United's turbulent season took another blow with a 3-1 defeat at home to Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday. The loss marked United's 10th in the league, intensifying the pressure on head coach Ruben Amorim, whose side has struggled to find form under his leadership.
Brighton secured the win with goals from Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma, and Georginio Rutter, while Bruno Fernandes scored for United from the penalty spot. The match was marred by a glaring mistake from goalkeeper Andre Onana, who failed to control a routine low cross, allowing Rutter to capitalize on the error and score Brighton's third goal.
This defeat, United’s seventh in 15 games under Amorim, underscored the challenging task ahead for the Portuguese manager to turn around the fortunes of the club. Brighton's victory propelled them to ninth place with 34 points, just four points behind the top four, while United languish in 13th with 26 points from 22 matches.
Brighton have now won six of their last seven league encounters with United and triumphed in their last three visits to Old Trafford.
The match started with an emotional tribute to Manchester United legend Denis Law, who passed away this week. Former manager Sir Alex Ferguson laid a wreath at the center circle, and bagpipes led the teams onto the pitch.
Brighton took the lead inside five minutes when Mitoma's precise pass found Minteh unmarked for a simple finish. United responded midway through the first half with a penalty after a defensive mix-up from Brighton’s goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. Fernandes made no mistake from the spot, bringing United level.
However, Brighton regained the lead in the second half when Mitoma headed in Minteh’s cross at the back post, and sealed the win with a third goal following Onana’s costly error.
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur’s dismal season continued with a 3-2 defeat at relegation-threatened Everton, while Nottingham Forest’s surprise push for the title remained on track after they triumphed 3-2 over bottom-placed Southampton.