Manchester United slipped to their worst-ever finish in the Premier League despite two second-half goals securing victory away at Brighton & Hove Albion on the final day of the season.
The Seagulls, who said goodbye to manager Roberto De Zerbi, were the brighter team but couldn’t punish the visitors and ended up missing out on a top-ten finish.
Erik ten Hag substituted Bruno Fernandes with half an hour still to play and, despite goals against the run of play from Diogo Dalot and Rasmus Hojlund, United now need to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup to secure European football next season.
How the game unfolded
There was emotion in the air at the AMEX Stadium following the announcement that home manager De Zerbi will leave his role as Brighton manager after United’s visit to the south coast. The Red Devils, meanwhile, were seeking to avoid a worst-ever Premier League finish both position and points-wise.
It was the Seagulls who threatened to go ahead first. Valentin Barco charged into the box and gave Aaron Wan-Bissaka the slip before calling Andre Onana into action with a low drive. The former Inter stopper was equal to it, however.
With Hojlund left on the bench again, Scott McTominay and Fernandes were plugged into central roles with Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho supporting out wide. Garnacho got in behind before Jakub Moder cleared the danger, but they largely lacked fluency.
Wan-Bissaka made a good block to deny Joao Pedro before Adam Webster glanced wide at the back post, with United then going close on the counter attack. Fernandes eased over the halfway line in space and played in McTominay, but the Scot’s lashed drive sailed into the crowd without troubling Jason Steele.
With the game at the AMEX approaching the end of the first half, Newcastle United had surged into a 3-0 lead away at Brentford to go clear of Erik ten Hag’s side in the live table.
It was largely one-way traffic in the opening 45 minutes, but again it was Garnacho who tried to singlehandedly drag United up the pitch, gliding past Moder and firing at the near post, but Steele parried it behind for a corner.
United prompted some pinball action in Brighton’s six-yard box from a corner before Webster cleared and the hosts then slowed and quickened the tempo to near-deadly effect. Nice play from Pascal Gross and Moder saw the ball drop to Pedro from point-blank range, but his shot was cleared off the line by the under-fire Casemiro.
Ten Hag’s side looked uninspired as they limped through…
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