Manchester United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the third round following a 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford yesterday.
Man United came flying out of the blocks, with Shea Lacey and Mason Mount finding the net to put the hosts in a commanding position.
Brighton quickly wrestled control away from United and refused to take their foot off the gas.
The visitors punished a series of dreadful defensive errors to score three times, completing a stunning comeback and piling further pressure on manager Michael Carrick.
Carrick turned to Joshua Zirkzee in the 66th minute, sending him on as his first substitute just before Brighton restored parity.
The Dutchman had produced an encouraging cameo against Sabah FK the previous week, giving Carrick reason to hand him another opportunity to impress.
Carrick may not trust Zirkzee again
The 25-year-old delivered an abysmal performance when United needed a response.
Zirkzee completed just five of his nine attempted passes, with only one finding a teammate in the opposition half.
He lost all four of his ground duels, while also giving the ball away 10 times.
The Dutchman was caught offside once and even failed to press the Brighton goalkeeper, leaving Bruno Fernandes to take on that responsibility instead.
It is remarkable to see such a dramatic drop-off from a player who appeared far more promising just over a week earlier.
Zirkzee had wanted to leave United when Everton made a late move on summer transfer deadline day.
The Red Devils blocked the departure because there was no time left to bring in a replacement.
However, his latest display should serve as another warning to Carrick that Zirkzee cannot be relied upon to make a meaningful contribution.
The forward undoubtedly possesses technical quality, but this performance will only strengthen the argument that United should look to offload him at the earliest opportunity.
Stats from Sofascore.com