Securing a Treble used to mean a lot more at Manchester United but three wins in a row is something not to be sniffed at nowadays.
Time will tell how significant these past three games have been for Ruben Amorim at United, but securing a third consecutive Premier League win in the same season for the first time since February 2024 certainly represents an upturn in fortunes.
Momentum is something United have failed to accumulate when the slightest shoot of hope has sprung but this win over Brighton & Hove Albion, following victories over Sunderland and Liverpool, to move into fourth spot in the standings signals a side building a head of steam.
Having Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbuemo on the scoresheet embellished this result but Amorim could only truly relax once his team had seen off the visitors’ late fightback.
Cunha’ first United goal to open the scoring was well taken midway through the first half after the home team had weathered some early pressure from **Fabian Hurzeler**’s men. Although **Casemiro**’s doubling of the lead contained a hint of fortune given the wicked deflection, it had stemmed from Brighton carelessly giving away possession.
United were practically home and hosed when Mbuemo put them three up after an hour but the home crowd’s celebrations were checked when former United striker Danny Welbeck blazed a fine free-kick beyond Senne Lammens and the unmarked Charalampos Kostoulas headed home **James Milner**’s corner.
Surely another mishap allowing the moment to slip away wasn’t afoot? No, instead Mbuemo’s second in the sixth minute of stoppage time finally allowed the Stretford End to cherish another positive result.
“It was really important [to win again] but also the performance,” Amorim said. “We had to play different games in different moments of the game, and I think the players understood really well what to do in every moment.
“*We suffer a little bit in the end but it would not be Manchester United without suffering a little bit! But I think we deserved the win against a very, very good team, a team that is really hard to press really high but we did well.*”
After last week’s triumph at Liverpool secured United their first back-to-back league wins under Amorim, the task that now befell them was to kick on and make it three in a row by defeating an opponent that had won their last three games at Old Trafford.
Inside the first minute Mbuemo looped a cross into the area that Bruno Fernandes couldn’t direct on target. Scoring so early would have been some way for the United captain to mark his 300th game for the club.
Cunha had already given notice with a shimmy into space and shot at Bart Verbruggen but the United forward was more clinical on 24 minutes when Brighton failed to clear their lines on the edge of the area.
The home team kept the pressure on and Cunha moved the ball out from under his feet following a pass from Casemiro and slotted a fine finish into the far corner to open his United account.
Man Utd still can't resist nervy finish
Brighton, who would have presented United with a penalty had Maxim De Cuyper not got a slight touch on the ball before upending Amad Diallo, did gift Amorim’s team their second ten minutes before the break.
**Jan Paul van Hecke**’s poor pass allowed Luke Shaw to force the ball to Casemiro and the Brazilian’s shot took a heavy deflection off Yasin Ayari to wrong foot Verbruggen and fly past him.
United’s position was commanding and although Georginio Rutter spurned a great Brighton chance when unmarked at the back post, the hosts could have pushed further ahead with Fernandes, Mbuemo and Benjamin Sesko combining well only for the stretching striker to send his effort wide.
It was all United after the interval, too. Verbruggen’s strong arm denied Fernandes from close range before the Brighton ‘keeper also beat away a shot from Sesko after Ayari had let the home side in again with a pass that was intercepted.
United would get their third just after the hour. Rutter was dispossessed as Shaw seemed to pull at the attacker’s shirt but the ball was swiftly moved through Sesko and into Mbuemo whose shot flew through **Lewis Dunk**’s legs.
Mbuemo sent a first-time attempt against the woodwork but already the home crowd were proclaiming Amorim’s name and rarely before had the United head coach been in such a position in a home game.
However, Brighton, who had emerged victorious from six of their last eight encounters with United, were not for giving in.
Welbeck had scored four in his last three outings and been involved in the away side’s best moments with a flick around Matthijs de Ligt to tee up Yankuba Minteh during their dominant spell in the first half and then saw an effort saved.
He delivered again with a free-kick from 20 yards that flew over the wall and beyond Lammens after Minteh had been brought down by Patrick Dorgu. Brighton shifted further back into the contest after Milner’s corner from the right was met by Kostoulas as stoppage time was entered.
Any chance of Brighton restoring parity ended with Mbuemo running on to substitute **Kobbie Mainoo**’s pass from the centre circle and allowing the United supporters to sing their team home.
“It’s easy to summarise this game, too many easy mistakes on our side,” Hurzeler said. “We gave the balls away too easy, like this you can’t win the game. I think overall we had the control of the game, we had good actions.
*“We always were dangerous and in their half, in their box. But in the end, if you do two easy mistakes, like we did, and make them like four presents you can’t win the game.*”