Manchester United secured a third successive Premier League victory as they survived a late scare to beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4–2 on Saturday.
The Red Devils were in a confident mood at Old Trafford after back-to-back wins and found themselves two goals ahead by the half-time whistle. Matheus Cunha’s first United goal was added to by Casemiro, whose heavily deflected strike put Ruben Amorim’s men in a commanding position.
They continued to purr after the restart, with Bryan Mbeumo etching his name on to the scoresheet with a neat finish, but Danny Welbeck’s wonderful free kick flipped momentum and unnerved the hosts in the closing stages.
Charalampos Kostoulas further reduced the deficit in stoppage time with a near-post header, but Mbeumo scored his second of the match in the dying embers to clinch all three points for the Red Devils.
Man Utd Player Ratings vs. Brighton (3-4-2-1)
GK: Senne Lammens—6.4: Appears an almighty upgrade on those who came before him, producing a generally commanding display. Will be disappointed to have conceded two late in the day.
CB: Leny Yoro—6.5: Yankuba Minteh caused a few issues down Yoro’s side in the first half, but the Frenchman was largely solid at Old Trafford.
CB: Matthijs de Ligt—6.6: Incredibly aggressive in his defensive work, storming around the pitch and thundering into duels. It was a largely effective strategy against the Seagulls.
CB: Luke Shaw—7.4: Shaw’s intense press retrieved possession for United in the build-up to Casemiro’s goal. The Englishman, much like his defensive teammates, will be frustrated with nerves creeping in late in the match.
RWB: Amad Diallo—6.9: The Ivorian created major problems for Maxim De Cuyper, who was unconvincing in his attempts to thwart the flying wing back. Used his pace effectively, especially in the first half.
CM: Casemiro—8.6: Finished the first half with a goal and assist, albeit the former arriving rather fortuitously, and protected United’s defence effectively as he showcased his ball-winning abilities.
CM: Bruno Fernandes—8.1: United find themselves less reliant on Fernandes’ creativity following their summer overhaul, but the Portugal international continues to thrive as a deep-lying playmaker. At the heart of things for the Red Devils.
LWB: Diogo Dalot—7.4: Plenty of effort as he flew up and down the wing, allowing Brighton little joy in wide areas. Moved to right wing back in the second half as he showcased his versatility.
RF: Bryan Mbeumo—9.3: Characteristically energetic in the final third and showed regular glimpses of his genius with some excellent touches and forays forward. Capped a great display with two well-taken goals in the second half.
ST: Benjamin Šeško—7.6: Isolated for the majority of the first half, before spurning a great chance a minute before the break. Grew into the match after the restart and supplied a super assist for Mbeumo.
LF: Matheus Cunha—8.4: Opened his United account in style with a graceful finish and proved a constant thorn in Brighton’s side with his excellent passing range and stellar first touch. Effortlessly brilliant in the final third in a performance that will offer him enormous confidence.
Subs not used: Altay Bayındır (GK), Noussair Mazraoui, Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount.
Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1)
Starting XI: Bart Verbruggen; Mats Wieffer, Jan Paul van Hecke, Lewis Dunk, Maxim De Cuyper; Carlos Baleba, Yasin Ayari; Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Georginio Rutter, Yankuba Minteh; Danny Welbeck.
Subs used: Tom Watson, Diego Gómez, James Milner, Charalampos Kostoulas, Stefanos Tzimas.
Player of the Match: Bryan Mbeumo
Man Utd 4–2 Brighton—How It Unfolded at Old Trafford
Expectations were high for United following two successive victories, but they were offered food for thought in the early stages by their bogey side. Brighton, who had won six of their previous seven Premier League meetings with the Red Devils, made an encouraging start at Old Trafford as they created a flurry of half-chances.
United were able to weather the early Brighton storm and found themselves ahead at the midpoint of the first half. Cunha found a pocket of space on the edge of the penalty area and was picked out by compatriot Casemiro, after which he caressed the ball effortlessly into the bottom corner to ease any nerves around Old Trafford.
Brighton became the architects of their own downfall as the half progressed, continually surrendering possession in their own third, and that recklessness allowed United to double their advantage. The Red Devils were handed a sizeable slice of fortune as they won possession deep in Brighton territory, Casemiro’s long-range strike taking an enormous deflection off Yasin Ayari on its way beyond Bart Verbruggen.
Benjamin Šeško should have fired United out of sight moments before the half-time whistle as he collected the ball in the penalty area at the end of a sweeping move, but the Slovenian was unable to continue his recent goalscoring form as he rifled high and wide.
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— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 25, 2025
United began the second half as they ended the first, pressing Brighton into mistakes and creating neat sequences in and around the penalty area. Bruno Fernandes almost added a third immediately after the break following a smart Cunha backheel, but the Red Devils finally sealed the points just after the hour mark.
Two of United’s summer recruits combined to put the game beyond doubt, Benjamin Šeško fizzing a pass into Mbeumo, who collected the ball, cut inside and fired into the near post with aplomb. Brighton protested what they believed to be a foul in the build-up following Luke Shaw’s pull on Georginio Rutter’s shirt, but their cries fell on deaf ears.
A momentary lapse of concentration from United gifted Brighton a free kick on the edge of the penalty area and Welbeck fired the resulting set piece beyond Senne Lammens to unnerve the hosts with 15 minutes of regulation time remaining.
The anxiety was palpable in the closing stages and intensified as Kostoulas managed a second Brighton goal from a corner in stoppage time, but Mbeumo’s 97th-minute strike ensured there would be no dramatic fightback from the Seagulls. The Cameroon international grabbed his brace with a clinical close-range finish to secure a vital victory.
Man Utd vs. Brighton Half-Time Stats
Man Utd vs. Brighton Full Time Stats
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd Player Ratings vs. Brighton: Red Devils Win Third Straight Despite Late Scare.