In a dramatic match at Old Trafford, Manchester United suffered a 3-1 defeat against high flyers Brighton Hove Albion as the home crowd expressed their displeasure with manager Erik ten Hag.
Despite Ten Hag’s prior strong support from United fans, the atmosphere soured due to his recent dispute with winger Jadon Sancho and a controversial substitution decision.
The turning point came when Ten Hag decided to replace new signing Rasmus Hojlund with Anthony Martial, 19 minutes into the second half.
This decision did not sit well with the fans, who voiced their dissent with resounding boos. The Danish player however received applause as he left the pitch, highlighting the divide in the stadium.
Unfortunately, the substitution did little to change United’s fortunes on the field. They were already trailing, thanks to a first-half goal from former United favourite Danny Welbeck.
Brighton continued to dominate in the second half, with Pascal Gross and substitute Joao Pedro adding goals, exploiting significant defensive gaps around the United penalty area to put scores at 3-0.
While Hannibal Mejbri scored his first goal for United, offering a glimmer of hope, the visitors came closest to scoring again in a frenetic finish.
Goalkeeper Andre Onana made four remarkable saves, denying Ansu Fati a debut goal in injury time.
This defeat marked Manchester United’s first home loss in 13 months, with Brighton securing their fourth successive Premier League victory over United.
The final whistle brought more boos, though not as vehement as when Hojlund was substituted.
Ten Hag’s side has now conceded 10 goals in their last four games, raising concerns about their defensive performance. This defeat also marked the first time since 1979 that United had conceded more than one goal in four consecutive league matches.
In other Premier League action on Saturday, Liverpool secured a late 3-1 victory against Wolves, and Tottenham came from behind to defeat Premier League returnees Sheffield United 2-1.
Champions Manchester City also rallied from a goal down to beat West Ham 3-1 to maintain their winning streak in the Premier League.
