Joao Pedro’s 95th-minute header sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory for Brighton over Manchester United on Saturday, marking a dream Premier League home debut for 31-year-old Brighton boss, Fabian Hurzeler.
United, who appeared to have salvaged a point when Amad Diallo’s deflected strike canceled out Danny Welbeck’s first-half goal, were left stunned in the dying moments of the match.
Pedro found himself unmarked in stoppage time to nod home Simon Adingra’s cross, securing all three points for Brighton.
The defeat heaps pressure on United manager Erik ten Hag, especially with a crucial clash against Liverpool at Old Trafford looming next weekend.
Despite surviving last season after an eighth-place finish in the Premier League, thanks to an FA Cup triumph, Ten Hag’s side has shown little improvement in the new campaign.
United’s season opener saw a narrow 1-0 win over Fulham, courtesy of Joshua Zirkzee’s late goal, but both performances have raised concerns about the Red Devils’ prospects for the season.
Ten Hag opted to stick with the same starting lineup from the Fulham match, with Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho again introduced as substitutes.
Brighton, on the other hand, continued their impressive form under Hurzeler, who guided them to a 3-0 win against Everton in his first match in charge.
The Seagulls look poised to challenge for European football once again.
Brighton took the lead in the 32nd minute when United’s Harry Maguire failed to intercept a dangerous cross, allowing Kaoru Mitoma to set up Danny Welbeck for a simple tap-in, marking the striker’s 100th career goal.
United thought they had equalized just moments later when Marcus Rashford bundled the ball in after Jason Steele’s excellent save, but the offside flag denied him.
Brighton dominated the early stages of the second half, with James Milner’s effort cleared off the line by Diogo Dalot and Welbeck heading against the crossbar.
United struggled to find their footing in the second half until Diallo’s solo effort leveled the score, albeit with a fortunate deflection off Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke.
However, Zirkzee, who had come on for Mason Mount at halftime, turned from hero to villain when he inadvertently blocked Garnacho’s goal-bound shot, leading to a disallowed goal after a VAR review.
The disallowed goal proved costly, as Brighton capitalized on United’s defensive frailties. Pedro’s late header, which saw him easily lose Scott McTominay and Matthijs de Ligt, secured a maximum six points from Hurzeler’s first two games in charge.
