Manchester United's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League have been dealt a blow after they suffered a dramatic 99th-minute penalty defeat to Brighton.
The Seagulls, who played with a
relentless approach throughout the game, kept their own hopes of European
qualification alive with the win. Alexis Mac Allister converted the penalty to
secure the victory for Brighton, leaving United in fourth place and with only
one game in hand.
The game was a Premier League thriller, with both sides having chances to score throughout. The opening seconds saw Antony shoot wide for United, and both Marcus Rashford and Antony Martial forced Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele into making important saves.
Brighton, fresh
from their 6-0 win against Wolves, played with the verve that has become their
trademark. Kaoru Mitoma had a great chance to score, but shot straight at David
de Gea when clean through, and missed another good chance after the break.
Danny Welbeck was also off-target with another presentable opening.
United stayed four points ahead of
fifth-placed Liverpool despite the defeat, but the Reds have played two games
more. Brighton, in sixth place, are now only four points behind Liverpool,
making the race for European qualification even more exciting. Their
celebrations at the final whistle contrasted sharply with their defeat by
United in the FA Cup semi-final less than two weeks ago.
The Seagulls turned up the pressure in
stoppage time, with De Gea saving superbly from Mac Allister and Pervis
Etupinan before they finally made the breakthrough with the penalty. Luke Shaw
was judged to have handled the ball, leading to the penalty decision. Brighton
deserved the victory for their relentless approach that finally gave them the
breakthrough seconds from the end.
The game was a superb spectacle of Premier
League football, with both sides showing attacking intent and creating chances.
However, Brighton's attacking play and pressure in stoppage time ultimately
earned them the win and kept their European qualification hopes alive. United
will now need to regroup and focus on their remaining fixtures if they are to
secure a place in next season's Champions League.
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