Manchester United beat Brighton 4-2 in one of our most entertaining matches all season.
Brighton had more of the ball, more shots, and more corners, but we were ruthless.
We created four big chances, missed three of them… and still scored four goals.
We won a season-high 63 loose balls and almost 50% of our long balls stuck when we went over their press instead of playing short.
That's the difference.
Table of Contents
Before you dive in
If you find this useful, hit the ❤️ at the top, share it, or comment your thoughts on the match.
Match Snapshot
Manchester United beat Brighton 4-2 at Old Trafford. Here’s what happened under the scoreline.
Score: United 4 - 2 Brighton
xG (expected goals = shot quality): United 1.29 - 1.12 Brighton
Possession: United 44% - 56% Brighton
Shots (on target): United 13 (9) - 17 (5) Brighton
Big Chances (“should score” chances): United 4 - 1 Brighton
Touches in the opposition box: United 21 - 20 Brighton
Corners: United 1 - 6 Brighton
Brighton had more of the ball and more shots. United still scored four.
Bryan Mbeumo - 3 shots, 3 on target, 2 goals, 2 key passes
Key Stats You Didn’t See on TV
5 stats that explain our performance:
4 goals from 1.29 xG (~3.1 goals per 1.0 xG)
Most efficient finishing we’ve had all season. That’s the attacking ceiling if we’re ruthless in front of goal, opposite of what we were seeing earlier in the season. Not sustainable every week, but this is what it looks like when we don’t waste good looks.
4 big chances created (to Brighton’s 1)
We generated 4 “should score” chances and Brighton only created 1. We actually only finished 1 of those 4 and missed 3 which means the other goals came from lower-probability shots. We weren’t just handed tap-ins, we finished tough chances.
63 ball recoveries (season high)
“Recoveries” = winning loose/second balls. United recovered the ball 63 times. That’s how we turned 44% possession into 21 touches in Brighton’s box. We didn’t need to keep the ball. We just needed to keep taking it back.
27/56 long balls completed (48.2%)
Almost half of our long balls stuck. That’s ~10 percentage points better than our normal rate. It wasn’t panicked clearances it was “skip your press, find Šeško, keep it.” Something definitely planned.
Lammens went long by design, not risk short: launched past Brighton’s press into Šeško.
108/142 passes completed in Brighton’s final third (76.1%)
+10 percentage points above our usual attacking-third completion. When we reached Brighton’s defensive third, we stayed there. That’s why 46 final-third entries became 4 big chances for us, while Brighton’s 45 entries became just 1 for them.
Get in their box, stay in their box, score.
Stat Outliers From This Match
Positive Outliers
4 goals = most this season.
9 shots on target = most this season.
69.2% shot accuracy (9 on target / 13 shots) = best this season.
63 recoveries = most this season.
76.1% pass completion in the final third = well above our normal level, best ball retention high up.
Do you prefer this new format over the old MSI articles?
Red Flags
1 error directly leading to a Brighton shot. Confidence can still switch quickly likely we saw from Dorgu’s error.
17 shots conceded, 10 of them inside our box.
Only 1 completed cross (1/9, 11.1%) and only 1 corner won. Which is surpring because we did have Sesko on the pitch.
Standout Players
Player ratings from WhoScored.
Bryan Mbeumo (9.16):
2 Goals. 3 shots, all 3 on target, 2 key passes. Directly converted chance quality into goals. He’s the main reason 1.29 xG turned into four actual goals.
Mbeumo and Bruno both finished with 9 total progressive actions.
Matheus Cunha (8.31):
First Man United goal. 2 shots (2 on target), 2 key passes. Turned transition wins into instant threat instead of just relieving pressure.
Casemiro (8.29):
1 shot (on target), 1 key pass, scored. Low volume, decisive timing from midfield. Really noticed the difference when he came off the pitch.
Bruno Fernandes (7.95):
83 touches (team high), 4 shots (2 on target), 2 key passes. First touch after we won the ball back. He’s the bridge between “we recovered it” and “we’re in your box.”
Bruno led all players with involvement in 9 shot sequences (shot, assist, or buildup) the most on the pitch. Mbeumo and Cunha were next for United.
Benjamin Šeško (7.41):
6 aerials won. Target for the long outlet. A big part of why we completed 48.2% of our long balls and actually kept possession after breaking Brighton’s press.
Flawed (Subs)
The subs closed the match but also introduced risk late, and you can see it in the numbers.
Kobbie Mainoo (on 69′): Lowest team rating at 5.98. 19 touches at 88.9% passing, but both Brighton goals came after the midfield rotation (Mainoo plus Ugarte at 81′). Ball security just wasn't there.
Patrick Dorgu (on 69′) and Ayden Heaven (on 64′): Dorgu: 100% passing, 6.09 rating. His mistake led to their first goal. Heaven: 92.9% passing, 1 key pass, 6.54 rating. Fresh legs were supposed to lock it down, but Brighton still got 10 shots from inside our box.
Joshua Zirkzee (on 81′): 17 touches, 2 aerials won, 6.32 rating. Outlet was there, but his game management with the ball wasn't clean. Didn't track his man on their second goal either.
The subs gave us energy, but we conceded twice after they came on. Late-game control is still a problem.
The Verdict
How United Won
4 big chances created to Brighton’s 1.
4 goals from 1.29 xG (elite conversion).
63 recoveries (season high) → we kept winning second balls.
21 touches in Brighton’s box despite 44% possession.
76% pass completion in their final third → once we got there, we stayed there.
Long-ball outlet at 48.2% completion → we bypassed Brighton’s press and actually held it.
What Still Worries Me
17 shots allowed, 10 in our box.
1 self-inflicted giveaway that turned directly into a Brighton freekick - and they punished it. That pattern is still there.
After the subs (64′ onward), we conceded twice, lost composure on the ball, and bled chances. We’re still gifting opponents life late.
We're evolving. Less possession, more directness, new attacking threats on the ball. This match is the clearest example we've seen. Thursday we look at whether the season's stats back it up.
If you’re not on the list yet: it’s free. I send this match report every Monday, and a bigger United trends piece every Thursday. Get both in your inbox.