Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo chases Brighton skipper Danny Welbeck at Old TraffordGetty Images
At a glance
Brajan Gruda drives Brighton into first-half lead
Former United striker Danny Welbeck scores second
Benjamin Sesko replies, but Shea Lacey sent off for home side
Manchester United out of both cup competitions at earliest point for first time in 44 years
United still to announce who will replace for Ruben Amorim for rest of season
PLAYER RATINGS
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter at Old Trafford
Managerless Manchester United completed an unwanted cup double as former striker Danny Welbeck helped Brighton send them crashing out of the FA Cup at Old Trafford.
In front of his old boss Sir Alex Ferguson and with former team-mate Darren Fletcher in interim charge at his old club, Welbeck belted home Brighton's second to send them into the fourth round.
It was the 35-year-old's eighth goal against United and his sixth visiting the stadium he used to call home.
The thunderous drive into the roof of Senne Lammens' goal doubled a lead given to Brighton by Brajan Gruda's first-half opener.
Benjamin Sesko's header five minutes from time breathed life into the home side but 18-year-old home substitute Shea Lacey was sent off in the final minute and Brighton held on for their first ever FA Cup victory against the 13-time winners at the seventh attempt.
For United, this defeat followed up the embarrassing EFL Cup second-round exit at League Two Grimsby, meaning they had exited both domestic cup competitions at the earliest possible stage for the first time since 1981-82.
It also means Fletcher's two-game stint as interim boss contributed a disappointing Premier League draw against Burnley and this home defeat to a campaign that is beginning to unravel.
United have now won once in their last seven games, with title contenders Manchester City and Arsenal their next two opponents.
Within the next 48 hours, the club are due to name who will replace Ruben Amorim until the end of the season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick viewed as the frontrunners.
Man Utd analysis: Season on the brink of collapse
Over the past five weeks, a season that has been delicately placed for weeks has now suddenly lurched downwards to the point where United are staring into the abyss.
While seventh in the Premier League is not catastrophic, if results against Manchester City and Arsenal go to form, they could be firmly in the bottom half of the table by the time they entertain Fulham on 1 February, where the 1958 Group of supporters plan a mass demonstration against the ownership.
The backdrop could hardly be worse for any new manager and does not offer the same immediate uplift opportunity Solskjaer enjoyed when he replaced Jose Mourinho in 2018.
It also means United face a 40-game season, their lowest since before the First World War. This is hardly going to help the financial situation Sir Jim Ratcliffe has pledged to improve, but has now added to substantially twice by sacking managers he backed at the end of the previous season - and to the tune of more than £200m.
There was not even consolation today in the form of youth.
Teenage forward Lacey is predicted to hit the heights in his career. However, he will not remember his Old Trafford debut fondly.
Already booked after being introduced as a substitute with half an hour remaining, Lacey reacted to a decision going against him by bouncing the ball down in disgust and the dismissal left him almost in tears as he left the field.
More to follow.
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10 Pure perfection
Manchester United
Brighton & Hove Albion
Starting XI
31S. Lammens
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13P. Dorgu
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6Lisandro Martínez
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15L. Yoro
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2Diogo Dalot
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37K. Mainoo
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25M. Ugarte
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10Matheus Cunha
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8Bruno Fernandes
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7M. Mount
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30B. Šeško
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18Casemiro
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61S. Lacey
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5H. Maguire
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11J. Zirkzee
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Starting XI
23J. Steele
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24F. Kadıoğlu
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21O. Boscagli
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42D. Coppola
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34J. Veltman
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30P. Groß
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13J. Hinshelwood
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25D. Gómez
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10G. Rutter
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8B. Gruda
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18D. Welbeck
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26Y. Ayari
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19C. Kostoulas
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22K. Mitoma
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14T. Watson
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6J. van Hecke
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Related topics
Manchester United
Brighton & Hove Albion
FA Cup
Football