August 24, (THEWILL) – Brighton and Hove Albion claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Manchester United on Saturday, with Joao Pedro scoring a 95th-minute winner at the Amex Stadium. The result gave 31-year-old manager Fabian Hurzeler a perfect start to his English Premier League career, with Brighton now on six points from two matches.
Danny Welbeck opened the scoring for Brighton in the first half, netting his 100th career goal. Manchester United thought they had equalised through Marcus Rashford, but the goal was disallowed for offside. The visitors eventually levelled the score in the second half when Amad Diallo’s deflected shot found the net.
United had another goal ruled out after a VAR review when Alejandro Garnacho’s effort struck teammate Joshua Zirkzee, who was in an offside position. This decision proved crucial as Brighton capitalised in stoppage time, with Pedro heading home Simon Adingra’s cross to snatch all three points.
The defeat puts early pressure on United manager Erik ten Hag, whose team has struggled in their first two league matches of the 2024/2025 season. United face a tough test next weekend when they host Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Brighton’s impressive start under Hurzeler, following their 3-0 victory over Everton in the opening weekend, suggests they will be strong contenders for European qualification this season. The Seagulls’ attacking display and late resilience were on full display, leaving United with questions to answer about their defensive organisation and overall performance.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
