Manchester United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in humiliating fashion, surrendering a two-goal lead to lose 2-3 at home to Brighton. Maxim De Cuyper's 69th-minute strike sealed the comeback for the Seagulls, who scored three times in the second half to pile more pressure on interim manager Michael Carrick.
Shea Lacey, making his full debut at 19, gave United a dream start with a goal seven minutes in. He beat Jaouen Hadjam before finishing, drawing a grin from Carrick on the touchline. Mason Mount doubled the advantage less than two minutes later, pouncing on a rebound after Jason Steele saved from Marcus Rashford. It was Mount's first goal since a win at Wolves last December.
Brighton fight back
The visitors, fifth in the Premier League after a flying start, grew into the game. Charalampos Kostoulas pulled one back just before half-time, beating Karl Darlow through his legs after being set free by Ayden Heaven's error. Pascal Groß then levelled the tie in the 65th minute, setting up a frantic finale.
De Cuyper delivered the decisive blow four minutes later, completing a turnaround that leaves United's season in crisis. The defeat means United have lost their last two matches and have taken just four points from a possible twelve in the league, leaving them 13th in the table. This poor form is reflected in the broader standings and stats for the season. Carrick, who has overseen only a win over Ipswich this season, pointed to the previous weekend's narrow derby loss for motivation. "Sunday’s injustice against City would give his side an edge," the manager said before the cup tie. That edge vanished as Brighton, who had lost only one of their last five visits to Old Trafford, took control.
Rashford had a golden chance to make it 3-3 but fired straight at Steele, summing up a frustrating night. The result continues a worrying trend of early cup exits, having been knocked out at the earliest stage in both competitions last season. With Bruno Fernandes the club's top scorer this season with three goals, the lack of cutting edge was evident. The team must now regroup quickly for a key Premier League trip to Fulham on Sunday, a key fixture in their fixtures list as they seek to improve their league position.
The report in full is at The Guardian Football
Fans have singled out Diago Dalot for criticism after the 2-3 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford. According to Sofascore, Dalot was the joint-lowest-rated United player with a match rating of 5.8. Supporters on social media blasted the defender, with one writing, "Dalot it's televised torture watching you." Manager Michael Carrick told reporters he took responsibility for the second-half collapse, stating, "I take responsibility for it. The performance towards the end of the second half, that's on me." The loss was United's second consecutive defeat, leaving them 13th in the Premier League.
Manager Michael Carrick told reporters ahead of the cup tie that winning trophies is vital. "For me, trophies is the beauty and the feeling of winning, is what we are in football for," Carrick said. The club's next fixture is away to Fulham on Sunday. United, 13th in the Premier League with four points from four games, lost 2-3 to Brighton on Wednesday.
