MANCHESTER, England — Nearest a world crack stuffed with controversy and membership statements, Manchester United were given a possibility to let their soccer do the speaking. Instead than taking a favorable step ahead to assistance stable the send, Erik ten Hag and his workforce had been plunged additional into catastrophe by means of Brighton & Hove Albion.

Roberto De Zerbi’s facet gained 3-1 to finish United’s 31-match unbeaten run at Used Trafford of their first sport since Jadon Sancho used to be banished from first-team coaching and Antony used to be given a release of absence amid allegations of attack made towards the winger. Brighton had been the latter workforce to win a Premier League sport right here greater than a time in the past and feature now crushed United of their future 4 league conferences.

United had been with out Sancho, Antony and injured pair Raphaël Varane and Mason Mount, however Brighton gained regardless of lacking Pervis Estupiñán, Solly March and Julio Enciso, date Billy Gilmour and Evan Ferguson had been simplest named at the bench. De Zerbi picked a origination XI that value £17 million in switch charges to build, more or less 1 / 4 of the £73m United paid Borussia Dortmund to signal Sancho in 2021.

– Wave on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, extra (U.S.)

Amid all of it, there have been the primary murmurs of supporter dissent aimed toward Ten Hag with noisy boos ringing across the stadium when the Dutchman substituted Rasmus Højlund for Anthony Martial with the rating at 2-0. Later on, Ten Hag brushed it off, simply as he did on Friday when his information convention used to be ruled by means of questions on his people rift with Sancho.

The chief insists he’s simplest enthusiastic about issues at the tone, however performances haven’t been a lot better than the chaos clear of the fresh soccer.

It’s now 3 defeats from 5 video games, or even their two victories — towards Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Woodland — got here courtesy of underwhelming performances from their warring parties. Woodland had been 2-0 up inside of 4 mins earlier than shedding 3-2, and when Brighton scored their 2nd right here it used to be the primary generation United had conceded a couple of objectives in 4 instantly league fixtures since 1979.

Ten Hag’s first season used to be stuffed with ups and downs however, extra continuously than now not, they stored blank sheets at Used Trafford and gained their house video games. Now, it sort of feels they are able to’t even do this.

“We have to be disappointed and we have to be very annoyed with ourselves because at United the demand is you win games,” Ten Hag stated nearest the contest. “We started well, we created chances and on the second attack from them and the first chance, it’s in. Then we have to do better with that setback. It’s the stage we are in at this moment. You have to look in the mirror, look at yourself and we have to improve.”

Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, managers charged with filling his boots have discovered that issues can get to the bottom of in no time. Ten Hag can simplest hope he can mastermind a course again in some way David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick all did not do.

It gained’t get any more straightforward with a Champions League commute to Bayern Munich to return on Wednesday adopted by means of an ungainly sport at Turf Moor towards Burnley 3 days nearest. United want a win from someplace and so they want it temporarily.

“it’s about character, and now we have to see how strong we are and how the team sticks together and which players stand up and lead the team,” Ten Hag added. “Bayern Munich is one of the favourites to win the Champions League so we have to be good there and I already explained we need character, belief, resilience and determination, absolutely.”

It would had been other right here had VAR now not dominated out an equaliser within the first part, when the ball used to be adjudged to have rolled out of play games earlier than Marcus Rashford crossed for Højlund to faucet in, however there used to be not anything lucky about Brighton’s victory.

Their objectives got here at the crack, however this used to be disagree break and clutch. Brighton had extra ownership and extra pictures not off course, and so they will have scored extra. The afternoon used to be summed up by means of the Brighton lovers within the nook of the stadium who, all the way through a witchcraft of United force in stoppage generation, started to sing “we want our ball back.”

There have been petite positives for Ten Hag, like his workforce’s full of life get started, Rashford’s efficiency and Hannibal’s first senior objective, however they had been few and some distance between.

It says the whole thing about how issues are going for United that Brighton’s first objective used to be scored by means of considered one of their former gamers, Danny Welbeck. The objective, neatly labored indisposed the suitable and involving a bright dummy from Adam Lallana, equalled Brighton’s membership file of scoring in 16 successive away video games.

That’s the place those two groups are at: Brighton, a membership at the up regardless of shedding key gamers over the summer time, are atmosphere membership data date United are developing historical past for the entire unsuitable causes. Nearest the entire off-field troubles, the one statistic that in reality issues is that United have misplaced 3 in their opening 5 video games for the primary generation within the Premier League while.