Manchester United’s improvement under coach Ruben Amorim continued on Saturday as Matheus Cunha, Casemiro, and two goals from Bryan Mbeumo secured a 4-2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, marking their third successive Premier League win.
Looking to build on last weekend’s first victory at Liverpool since 2016, Cunha opened the scoring with a sublime 24th-minute strike, arrowing the ball into the bottom corner – the Brazilian’s first goal for United.
There was a touch of fortune about the second goal from Casemiro 10 minutes later, as his shot took a huge deflection before finding the net. However, Mbeumo’s well-taken third just after the hour mark put the hosts in complete command.
Brighton fought back with Danny Welbeck’s sublime free kick against his former club pulling one back for the visitors. Then, Charalampos Kostoulas’s header in stoppage time ensured a nervy finish at Old Trafford.
With Brighton committing everyone forward in search of an equaliser, Mbeumo fired a fine strike into the roof of the net in the 96th minute to lift United to fourth in the Premier League standings. Brighton stayed in 12th place.
“I enjoy it a lot here,” Mbeumo told Sky Sports. “It hasn’t been easy at the start. It’s a new environment, a new expectation, but I think with the link-up with the team, everything is going the right way. The work we put in, the togetherness we give on the pitch, is key. I like the challenges, I came here to a big club, and we want to fight for the best places.”
**Brighton a Big Test for United**
The visitors provided a significant challenge for an improving United side. Since the start of the 2021-22 season, no team has won more league games against United than Brighton.
United’s victory against Liverpool last weekend was the first time Amorim had achieved back-to-back league wins since taking charge 11 months ago. However, the manager insisted the revival would be undone if they slipped to another loss against Brighton.
Brighton started brightly, with Welbeck forcing a fine save from United goalkeeper Senne Lammens early on, but Cunha’s pinpoint finish helped settle the home side’s nerves.
Since the start of last season, Cunha has scored more goals from outside the box than any other Premier League player across all competitions.
Casemiro’s deflected strike deservedly put a dominant United further ahead, with more chances coming and going to extend the hosts’ lead before halftime.
Mbeumo followed up his goal at Liverpool with another to put United into a seemingly unassailable position.
Yet, the game proved that United are far from the finished article, as mistakes crept in and Welbeck sparked a Brighton comeback.
United appeared on the ropes when Kostoulas pounced to narrow the deficit to 3-2, but Mbeumo’s 96th-minute strike secured all three points, as the home side won three straight league victories for the first time since August 2024.
“We put ourselves in a really difficult position,” Welbeck said. “We have a great group. We got two goals and were close to maybe getting a third. It didn’t happen, but it is a good sign we showed character.”
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