Manchester United have let Liverpool back into the top-four race and their dire away form risks derailing Erik ten Hag's first season
Another away match against a top-nine side, another defeat for Manchester United. Their 1-0 loss to Brighton on Thursday night brought about a familiar feeling of helplessness, Erik ten Hag's men now so accustomed to letdowns on the road this season yet unable to stop the trend.
Alexis Mac Allister's 98th minute penalty was the latest goal United have conceded in the Premier League and it means the Red Devils are now nervously looking over their shoulders at Liverpool, who are in resurgent form and coming for their fourth spot in the table. United's lead over their arch rivals has been reduced to just four points and while they have one game in hand, they are now starting to feel the heat from the suddenly in-form Reds.
United's dismal away record is of course a big factor in them now being in this vulnerable position. They were hammered 7-0 at Anfield and resoundingly beaten 2-0 at Newcastle before they threw away a 2-0 lead to draw at Tottenham. They have now been beaten by the upwardly mobile Brighton, who thoroughly deserved the three points and avenged their FA Cup semi-final defeat against United on penalties 10 days prior.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Amex Stadium.
GettyLOSER: Antony
A forward who cost £85 million needs to be doing a lot better with the clear strike at goal that fell into Antony's lap just a couple of minutes into the game. The Brazilian was given a perfectly weighted pass by Bruno Fernandes and had no one closing him down but he sent his shot wide of the post.
Antony had three efforts on goal but never really troubled Jason Steele and he struggled to create opportunities for Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford. After losing his place in the starting line-up against Aston Villa, he did not justify returning to the team.
He is capable of ravaging opponents, as he did against Nottingham Forest, but he needs to show he can do it against teams other than those at the bottom of the table. Brighton are a well-drilled, dynamic side and they were able to prevent him cutting inside, thus clipping his wings.
He has only scored one league goal since October and has just one assist in the league all season. It is simply not good enough for a player who cost so much and for a team with United's ambitions. And as the game went on he got more and more frustrated and began to lose his head, risking getting sent off for his scuffle with Mac Allister.
AdvertisementGettyWINNER: Liverpool's top-four hopes
Liverpool's chances of getting into the Champions League places looked dead and buried after they took two points from four matches following their stunning 7-0 win over United. But now Jurgen Klopp's side are back in the hunt for the top four after winning five games in a row while United are sleepwalking towards disaster. If Liverpool beat Brentford on Saturday, they will be just one point behind United.
Ten Hag's side will have two games in hand but given their hapless away form, there is no guarantee they will beat West Ham on Sunday. The Red Devils' also have a stretched squad, still missing Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, and with Bruno Fernandes continuing to play through the pain barrier.
If United can maintain their strong home form they should be able to fend off Liverpool. But the fact that they are suddenly in this position underlines that they are still so far from where they want to be and where they should be given the amount of money spent last summer.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Roberto De Zerbi
Brighton felt robbed when Graham Potter was headhunted by Chelsea in September but getting De Zerbi is the best thing that could have happened to them. Brighton's renowned recruitment team had been looking at the Italian ever since he made waves as the coach of Sassuolo and appointing him has proved to be a masterstroke.
While Potter's best achievement with Brighton was establishing them as a mid-table side, De Zerbi has got the Seagulls soaring higher than they could have dreamed. Qualifying for Europe for the first time in the club's history is not just a realistic prospect, it is beginning to look inevitable.
Brighton were really unlucky not to have won the FA Cup semi-final against United and they had a similar game plan here as at Wembley. But the difference was that this time Brighton went for the jugular late in the game, refusing to settle for a draw and deservedly taking all three points.
They may have been fortunate to win the free-kick that led to the penalty but they were laying siege to United's box in injury time and their pressure paid off, getting the latest scalp of De Zerbi's reign after doing the double on Chelsea and beating Liverpool in the league and FA Cup.
Getty ImagesLOSER: United's record at the Amex
It is no secret that United have been terrible away from home this season. This was their seventh defeat to a top-nine opponent. They have only won one match against a side in the top 12 away from home – their last-gasp victory at Fulham.
But their problems away to Brighton stretch way back to when the Seagulls were first promoted to the Premier League in the 2017-18 season. United lost their first two visits to the Amex Stadium when Jose Mourinho was in charge, going down 1-0 at the back end of the 2017-18 campaign and 3-2 at the start of the following season. They did win three consecutive matches at Brighton under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, two in the league and one in the Carabao Cup, but all those victories were without fans in the stadium due to Covid restrictions.
With fans back in the stands last season, United suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat under Ralf Rangnick and have now lost all four of their league matches at the Amex Stadium when supporters have been present.