Cunha’s first goal powers Man United to a 4-2 third consecutive win! Comeback lifts them temporarily into the top four, Amolin’s key move could lead to a title challenge

Manchester United beat Brighton 4-2 at Old Trafford, achieving their third consecutive Premier League win. Cunha netted his first goal since joining, Casemiro provided both a goal and an assist, while Mbemou scored twice to secure the victory. Following this game, the Red Devils, with one extra match played, are temporarily placed fourth in the Premier League. Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the stands showed satisfaction, as his backing of Ruben Amolin’s choices appears to be effective.

Besides Sir Ratcliffe in the stands, Maguire was also present. The £80 million defender, who scored the winning goal against Liverpool, missed this match due to injury. Amolin replaced him with Lenny Yaro and substituted Sheshko for Mason Mount, who was also sidelined by injury midweek. The rest of the starting lineup was identical to the one that defeated Liverpool.

Brighton has won six of their last seven Premier League matches against Manchester United, proving to be a major obstacle for the Red Devils. They aimed to become the first team to achieve four consecutive away wins against United. However, Amolin’s squad has been transformed; they started the match showing great confidence and abundant stamina, partly because Manchester United is not competing in European tournaments this season.

About fifteen minutes into the game, Amad Diallo dribbled into the penalty area, where Maxim De Kuyper defended with a scorpion kick that struck Amad’s shin, causing him to fall. However, referee Anthony Taylor did not award a penalty and allowed play to continue. Amolin was furious and even complained to the fourth official. Taylor, born in Greater Manchester, is unpopular with Manchester United fans, who angrily called him a "Liverpool bastard."

The Premier League issued a statement explaining that after VAR review, it was confirmed that the Brighton defender only lightly touched the ball. "Regarding the referee’s decision not to award a penalty to Manchester United, the VAR assistant referee reviewed and upheld the call; it was concluded that De Kuyper did not commit a foul during the match."

Cunha was the club’s £62.5 million summer signing but had no goals or assists in the first two months of the season. After the controversial penalty was denied, he quickly stepped up. Receiving a pass from compatriot Casemiro, Cunha took a curling shot from the edge of the box, sending the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. Cunha’s first goal broke the deadlock at 1-0 for Manchester United. Data shows Cunha leads the Premier League in long-range shots from outside the box, with seven goals of this kind topping the league.

“I’ve worked so hard for this goal; that’s how it is at Manchester United. Performances like this need to become the norm,” Cunha said. “Scoring my first goal at Old Trafford is something I’ve dreamed of countless times. Of course, winning is what matters most.”

After Cunha’s goal, the atmosphere at the Theatre of Dreams grew even more electric. Casemiro, who assisted, soon attempted a shot from a similar distance. The ball seemed set to miss, but it deflected off Brighton’s Yassine Ayari, dramatically changing direction and ending up in the net. 2-0 — the revived Manchester United even seemed to have luck on their side!

Sir Ratcliffe rose to applaud Casemiro’s goal, despite previously criticizing the costly signing and high wages of the 33-year-old Brazilian veteran as a waste. Now, the "Fat Tiger" has become a cornerstone of Amolin’s 3-4-3 system and could even renew his contract if willing to take a significant pay cut. This is considered one of the benefits of Manchester United missing out on European competition, as Casemiro has better stamina.

For the first time since November 2008, Manchester United led by two or more goals at halftime in three consecutive Premier League matches at Old Trafford. In the second half, two other new forwards combined to create the third goal. Diogo Dalot passed to Sheshko, who then assisted Mbemou. The £71 million player cut inside and calmly finished, extending Manchester United’s lead to 3-0, seemingly securing the victory.

Mbemou also had another great chance to score when he received a low cross from Bruno Fernandes on the left, but his shot struck the outside of the post and went out for a goal kick.

At the 70th minute, Amolin made two poor substitutions. Possibly thinking the game was won, he replaced Amad and Casemiro with Patrick Dogu and Kobe Meno, which completely shifted the momentum, allowing Brighton to take control of the match.

Dogu’s performance was particularly poor; he almost received a red card just one minute after coming on. The Danish fullback, valued at €35 million, was outpaced by Brighton’s Jakuba Mint and fouled him. The referee was lenient, showing only a yellow card, possibly because Mint had overcontrolled the ball. Otherwise, a red card seemed inevitable.

However, the "Seagulls" gained momentum. Former Manchester United player Danny Welbeck scored again against his old club by converting a direct free kick. The recently praised goalkeeper Sene Ramens reacted somewhat slowly, reducing Manchester United’s lead to 3-1. "Black Bear" has scored five goals in his last four games, making him one of the Premier League’s hottest forwards.

Despite conceding a goal, Ramens’ overall performance remained steady, as he later saved a powerful long-range shot from Cadiolu.

Just as the big screen showed seven minutes of added time, Brighton veteran James Milner won a corner kick. Chalaramos Costuras headed the ball at the near post to make it 3-2, causing the Old Trafford crowd to grow anxious, fearing their team might surrender the win.

Fortunately, in the dying moments of the extended stoppage, it was Manchester United who scored, not Brighton. Eden Even launched a powerful pass from the back. Captain B. Fernandes, making his 300th appearance for the club, cleverly flicked the ball through, allowing Mbemou to shoot decisively and secure a 4-2 victory. Mbemou now has five goals this season, making him the team’s top scorer.

The Red Devils have finally set themselves on the right path, overtaking Liverpool, who lost 2-3 to Brentford, to temporarily hold fourth place in the standings. If Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Tottenham win their matches on Sunday, Manchester United could drop to seventh, but the team is undoubtedly back in the race for a top-four finish. Moreover, if Crystal Palace defeats leaders Arsenal, the Red Devils would be just three points behind the top spot, even challenging for the Premier League title this season!

Next round, Manchester United will visit the struggling Nottingham Forest, and a fourth consecutive win seems within reach. However, this Premier League season is quite chaotic, and the situation could change at any moment. Brighton’s two late goals clearly show that Amolin and Manchester United still have plenty of work ahead.

In particular, the team’s consistency still needs improvement. In the same match, they often seemed like two different teams, especially after substitutions—taking off the fatigued Casemiro and bringing on the heavily criticized Dogu. Therefore, Amolin must be cautious with his substitutions.

After the match, Amolin commented: "This feeling is amazing, hearing the crowd’s cheers and the joy that comes with it. Today we must fully enjoy this atmosphere but also prepare for the next game. When the score became 2-3, it was really tough; we have faced similar situations before with a different mentality and got into trouble. However, today we scored the final goal because I feel the team can handle difficulties better than last season. When your mindset is right, good luck follows."