Brighton made their hosts Manchester United work notably hard for their 1-0 win, which was achieved via a second-half deflected strike from Ashley Young. Jose Mourinho's team suffered from a lack of creativity against a very well-organised Brighton defence, and the fluency of their early season play seems a very long way away now.
Positives
Young was determined throughout and deserved his match-winning strike. Victor Lindelof impressed after a difficult few weeks with the club, and Paul Pogba was at the centre of everything.
Negatives
United's forwards failed to produce the combination play that would have opened Brighton up, and the team lacked creativity in wide areas.
Manager rating out of 10
6 -- Mourinho achieved the win, possibly with a measure of relief -- since this game showed the limitations of his team against sides that sit deep, and understand how to isolate his most gifted attackers.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK David De Gea, 7 -- Was mostly untroubled, but superbly alert whenever called upon.
DF Antonio Valencia, 5 -- Typically diligent in defence, but too often lacked imagination in wide areas, frequently playing predictable and inaccurate crosses into the box. A disappointing outing.
DF Chris Smalling, 7 -- No major highlights or criticisms. His passing was prompt and precise, and his positioning -- against an admittedly limited attack -- was consistently good.
DF Victor Lindelof, 8 -- Looked confident on the ball and was assertive throughout, even though that went over into aggression on occasion. Like Smalling, his positioning was sound.
DF Ashley Young, 8 -- Got forward with great energy but not always the greatest effect, but was rewarded for his persistence on the goal. Covered his lines doggedly and cleared the ball without fuss.
MF Nemanja Matic, 7 -- Covered a remarkable amount of ground and helped to control the tempo of the match, combining very well with Pogba throughout. As late as injury time, he could be found back in the right-back position, tidying up as usual.
Ashley Young saw his strike deflect in off Lewis Dunk. Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
MF Paul Pogba, 7 -- Did not truly catch fire in this match, but his influence was still there for all to see -- his control was supreme, and some of his weighted passes to the flanks were outstanding. Indispensable to United.
MF Juan Mata, 5 -- The effort was there, but the killer pass was not. Tasked with running United's attack, Mata was unable to work the ball through the few gaps in Brighton's defence, instead spreading the ball harmlessly wide on several occasions.
MF Anthony Martial, 6 -- A difficult game for him, reminiscent of the Premier League draw last season against Liverpool. Brighton were clearly aware of his threat and so isolated him against two or three players, meaning that it was hard for him to make meaningful inroads with his sublime skill.
FW Marcus Rashford, 5 -- A disappointing outing. His decision-making was below par today -- he too often went for the early, low-percentage cross, sending the ball high into the area instead of building the play down the line with a combination of passes.
FW Romelu Lukaku, 6 -- Similar to his performance against Basel in that he could and should have scored early on, and was largely excluded from the action after that -- due, it must be said, to the failure of his teammates to create much around him. His work rate was notably good, despite that.
Substitutes:
FW Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 7 (for Mata, 62) -- Showed a keen eye for invention and some of his combination play with Pogba and Lukaku was a delight. With more games under his belt, he looks to have several more goals in him.
MF Henrikh Mkhitaryan, NR (for Martial, 71) -- Some bright movement from him, but he failed to conjure a decisive moment. Still looks short of confidence, and a little sharpness.
MF Marouane Fellaini, NR (for Rashford, 80) -- Came on to see out the game in his typically combative and increasingly effective fashion, picking up a knock for his trouble.
Source: espn.co.uk