The Media Review: United beaten again

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Nick Szczepanik

2025-01-20T12:00+00:00

Three wins in a week. 📷 by James Boardman.

For Albion fans who remember the days of Gillingham and Withdean, victories over Manchester United at Old Trafford will surely never get old, even when their own manager claims they are the worst United team in history.

But football writers based in the north west are getting used to seeing points heading south to Sussex.

Chris Wheeler of The Daily Mail, for example, wrote that “we really shouldn’t be surprised by these headlines any more. This was Brighton’s third straight win in the league at Old Trafford, equalling a feat only achieved by Manchester City. They have now won six of their last seven league games against United.

“United were a mess again, as bad as Brighton were good. The Seagulls led through Yankuba Minteh’s early goal and clinched a deserved win through second half strikes from Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter. Mitoma’s 15th Premier League goal means he has moved ahead of Shinji Okazaki as the top Japanese scorer in the competition's history.”

Kaoru Mitoma. 🐐 Our winger now has more goals in #PL history than any other Japanese player. 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/dQWqvH8YtU
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 20, 2025

Martin Blackburn of The Sun referenced the pre-match tributes to the great Denis Law, who died on Friday, writing that “on the pitch, the current crop could not give the King of the Stratford End the send-off he deserved.

“The Law tributes were brilliantly done by United but there was little sympathy from the visitors when the game kicked off. Carlos Baleba’s ball over the top sent Mitoma clear down the left hand side and he unselfishly squared for Minteh to tap home.

“There was a reprieve just after the re-start as United failed to deal with a low free-kick into the box and Pedro spun sharply before slotting past Onana. Luckily for the home team, the VAR had spotted a kick from Jan Paul van Hecke on Dalot before the ball dropped for the Seagulls striker.

“It’s fair to say the Portuguese defender had made the most of it. But the let off was short-lived as the visitors did take the lead a little over five minutes later.

Photo 1/25

A fine victory for Albion as they beat United 3-1 at Old Trafford. Goals from Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter secured the result. Images captured by club photographer James Boardman.

“Mitoma had teed up Minteh for the opening goal – and this time the roles were reversed. Gambian ace Minteh hung up a lovely cross to the back post and Mitoma stretched out a leg to get ahead of Noussair Mazraoui – who also collided with the post.

“It was no more than the visitors deserved and shortly afterwards it was game over thanks to another clanger from Onana. Yasin Ayari’s low cross into the box should have been simple as he was under no pressure – but somehow he failed to hold on to it.”

The i Paper’s Chief Sports Correspondent, Kevin Garside, also noted that “any idea that the Lawman’s spirit might be at large among the current United crop was dashed inside four minutes, all the time it took them to capitulate again.

“Brighton romped home in second gear, never less than impressive with Kaoru Mitoma, as ever, a relentless nuisance down the left. He provided the assist for the early goal and forced the ball in at the back post for the second.

Carlos Baleba celebrates with Yankuba Minteh at Old Trafford. 📷 by James Boardman.

“Carlos Baleba was the glue that held this performance together. A powerful presence in the middle of the park, he was the principal reason for the double withdrawal of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo on the hour.

“United, you felt, had to clobber Brighton hard at the start of the second half but it was the Seagulls who hit the accelerator. The movement of Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck always threatened a third if not, perhaps, in the way it was delivered.”

Jamie Jackson - crime writer, DJ, poet and also football writer for The Guardian when he can spare the time - started with that third goal. “Yasin Ayari, who starred throughout, swept the ball in from the right. United’s keeper went to ground, saw the ball slip from his gloves to Georginio Rutter, and the substitute evaded the despairing Cameroonian and rolled home.

“Onana had added the latest clownish error to a bulging catalogue, having provided a bookend to United’s performance as unwanted as the side’s at the start. Here, and for an umpteenth time, Amorim’s side were cast as hapless bystanders rather than competitors in a contest, being breached in a fluid back-to-front move that was too easy for their visitors to execute.

“Amorim’s desire to transform United into a unit akin to Fabian Hürzeler’s requires time and his players to buy into this. Winning is the best way to guarantee the latter. Yet stability is no apt word for United and so after they began the second half brightly, you waited for a hole to be punched through them by Brighton.”

In The Daily Telegraph, James Ducker wrote that United’s “bogey side Brighton claimed a third consecutive victory at Old Trafford.

“United were behind after just five minutes after more dozy defending, the outstanding Carlos Baleba playing a ball over the top and Noussair Mazraoui failing to anticipate the danger as Kaoru Mitoma sped away and squared for Yankuba Minteh to score.

“Bruno Fernandes equalised from the penalty spot but Brighton were too good in the second half as familiar failings again undid United.

The scoreboard at Old Trafford certainly made for good viewing for Albion fans. 📷 by James Boardman.

“The superb Yasin Ayari escaped Manuel Ugarte far too easily in midfield, driving forward and finding Minteh who was allowed to bend in an inswinging cross with no pressure on the ball from Dalot. Mazaraoui was beaten at the back post by Mitoma who nipped in to stab home.

“Then came Onana’s latest blunder. Ayari again beat the offside trap with a clever run in behind to latch on to Solly March’s quick pass. His cross should have been easily smothered by Onana but he spilled the ball diving down to catch it, allowing substitute Georginio Rutter to turn and finish into an empty net.”

On the BBC website, Simon Stone wrote that “managers at the Amex come and go but they all find it quite easy to come up with a gameplan to beat this particular opponent.

“On this occasion, it was fluidity and, in Kaoru Mitoma's case, desire. Against his old club, forward Danny Welbeck showed up both Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund by dropping deep into spaces, taking home defenders with him, or pushing right on their shoulders.

“This creates holes Brighton's fluid attacking formation is able to exploit. Yasin Ayari was able to surge straight through the middle of the pitch in the second half as the hosts, seemingly at a loss to stem the tide of Brighton attacks, virtually ushered him through.

“It has not been an easy period for Fabian Hurzeler but the long run without a victory has been superseded by three away wins in the space of nine days, and Brighton are back dreaming of Europe again.”