Maxim De Cuyper scores the winner. Pic: Molly Darlington/Getty
Maxim De Cuyper scores the winner. Pic: Molly Darlington/Getty
A drama has turned into a crisis at Manchester United. After a week which brought a derby defeat at the hands of 10-man Manchester City and a transfer request from a 15-year-old who was supposed to be part of a glorious future, they have now been knocked out of the Carabao Cup.
Last season, Grimsby delivered humiliation. This time Brighton came from 2-0 down to leave Old Trafford in a state of shock and Michael Carrick facing more questions about his reign.
It was the first time United had lost a game after being two goals to the good since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. In the previous 145 games where they had been two goals to the good, they had won 143 and drawn twice. This was a devastating night.
Two goals inside the opening 10 minutes from Shea Lacey and Mason Mount put the home side in total control, but Fabian Hurzeler's side came roaring back.
Charalampos Kostoulas, Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper were all on target as Albion won at Old Trafford for the fifth time in their last six visits.
There were jeers at the final whistle. United have now been eliminated from the Carabao Cup after losing two of their opening four Premier League games.
Carrick is now under serious pressure. The fears that United's owners have not given their head coach a squad strong enough to compete at the highest level are now being realised.
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is under pressure. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is under pressure. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Brighton, in contrast, looked like a team who knew what they were doing.
It was a much-changed United team. There were starts for Lacey, summer signing Andrey Santos and injury-plagued Mount, with only Youri Tielemans, Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford left from the side that opened against City.
Lacey didn't need long to show he is ready to turn his rich potential into something more tangible. This was his seventh appearance for United. When he played against Brighton last January, he left the pitch in tears after being sent off for two yellow cards in a chastening FA Cup defeat.
When Tieleman's found him lurking on the right angle of Albion's box, he dropped his shoulder to cut inside Jaouen Hadjam before unleashing a fierce left-foot shot between keeper Jason Steele and his near post.
Within two minutes, Mount demonstrated that he's ready to make up for lost time, beating Lacey to a loose ball as it bounced tantalisingly between them after Steele had blocked Rashford's shot to ram a half-volley up off the turf and into the top corner.
Old Trafford was in raptures. At last they were witnessing their team in full flow. But old flaws were about to be exposed.
Brighton were down, but not out. Hurzeler made six changes to the team that won 5-0 at Coventry City on Sunday. The Seagulls are top scorers in the Premier League, with 13 goals from four games.
The visitors responded to United's early double salvo by passing and moving themselves back into the contest.
Malick Yalcouye should have reduced the deficit when Pascal Gross' first-time pass send him clear, but the Ivorian winger dragged his shot wide of the far post.
Then, after Kostoulas' driven cross fell to the feet of Gross off the inside of Dalot's heal, the Albion captain blazed his shot into the Stretford End after opting for power instead of precision.
Brighton got their reward in first-half injury-time when Kostoulas pulled off the shoulder of Ayden Heaven to fasten onto Hadjam's raking pass before threading a finish through the legs of United keeper Karl Darlow.
There was now an unease inside Old Trafford. Benjamin Sesko broke through on goal only for Steele to race from his area to nick the ball off the toes of the Slovenian striker. Then Tielemans was just too high with a curling effort after working a short corner with Rashford.
But Brighton were level in the 65th minute when Luka Vuskovic beat Sesko to Dalot's clearance and his header forward fell to Gross, unmarked inside the United area. He gave Darlow no hope with a low finish into the corner.
There was only going to be one winner now. De Cuyper scored it in the 69th minute after Kostoulas picked him out with a low cross and he beat Darlow from six yards.
When Rashford was denied by Steele after going through, the Stretford End was already preparing to boo.
Man United (4-2-3-1): Darlow 5 ; Dalot 5, Yoro 6, Heaven 6, Mazraoui 5; Tielemans 6, Santos 6 (Mainoo 66, 5); Lacey 7 (Mbeumo 66, 5), Mount 6 (Fernandes 73, 5), Rashford 6 (Cunha 80, 5); Sesko 5 (Zirkzee 66, 5).
Brighton (4-3-3): Steele 6; Costinha 6, Vuskovic 7, Struijk 6, Hadjam 7; Boscagli 6 (Ayari 71, 5), Chema Andres 6, Gross 8; O'Riley 6 (Gomez 66, 5), Kostoulas 7 (Rutter 82, 5), Yalcouye 6 (De Cuyper 66, 7).
Referee: Farai Hallam: 7.