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Manchester United’s hunt for trophies is over inside the second week of January after a ruthless Brighton took advantage of yet another loose defensive performance. This FA Cup third-round knockout means the 13-time winners have been dumped from the competition and the League Cup at the first opportunity for a first time since 1981-82.
By the end of May, United’s season will stand at a total of 40 games – their lowest number in a complete campaign since 1914-15. If the Carabao Cup penalty shootout elimination at Grimsby in August was dire, this disappointment was as concerningly insipid. Goals from Brajan Gruda and Danny Welbeck, one in each half, (probably) ended Darren Fletcher’s record as the interim manager as winless – this defeat following the draw at Burnley in the Premier League on Wednesday.
Benjamin Sesko steered in an 85th‑minute header but United failed to grab the lifeline despite Old Trafford roaring them on. Instead, during the five minutes of added time Shea Lacey received a second yellow card and marching orders from Simon Hooper for dissent, the referee having previously booked the 18-year-old substitute for a late tackle. The youngster wandered off appearing in tears: an unfortunate yet apt microcosm of a 2025-26 that is in tatters for United.
At the final whistle Fletcher was booked for complaining to Hooper about the red card – one more emblem of a horrendous day.
Sometime in the next 72 hours the club are expected to announce who will become the second interim, to replace Fletcher, who took over after Ruben Amorim’s sacking last week. Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Michael Carrick have been interviewed for the role.
In the context of his own candidacy, Fletcher said of his two matches in charge: “This is what I have been asked to do so I have not had any discussions beyond that.”
Whoever is appointed now has only a Champions League berth to aim for – United are in seventh on 32 points, three behind Liverpool in the fourth place that guarantees qualification. After this latest blow, who knows if United will secure any form of European football.
Kobbie Mainoo started for a first time since the loss at Grimsby, benefiting from Bruno Fernandes playing as the No 10 in Fletcher’s 4-2-3-1. He would have approved of Matheus Cunha’s back‑to-front pass that released Diogo Dalot but the right‑back’s shot went straight at the body of Brighton’s goalkeeper, Jason Steele.
When United were carved apart it was simple. Brighton swept the ball left to Ferdi Kadioglu, he relayed it to Welbeck, and the captain stood the ball up. Georginio Rutter saw a header cleared off the line by Lisandro Martínez before Gruda blazed home.
The TV cut to Sir Alex Ferguson with Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt sitting alongside and neither the erstwhile United manager nor his two former players were impressed.
Fletcher admitted after the 2-2 draw on Wednesday that too many goals were being conceded, as the 32 in the Premier League illustrates. So when Welbeck roved in at close range on the right the surprise came in him hitting the side-netting, not the target, rather than the forward being put through with ease.
Before the break United registered two more attempts – a rolled Fernandes free-kick and a Cunha daisy-cutter – but still trailed and were as flat as at the same juncture at Turf Moor, when also losing 1-0. It meant, too, their hopes of claiming silverware this season were in a last‑chance saloon that closed in the next 50 minutes, including added time.
An aimless Fernandes free-kick spiralled straight into Steele’s gloves was no augury the season was about to be pulled from the fire. So, too, a weak corner, then an aimless Dalot cross, though a raking cross-pitch Mainoo ball meant for Fernandes that narrowly missed drew applause from the captain and Fletcher for its ambition.
United attacked the Stretford End in the second half, as they prefer, and the faithful there and around the rest of Old Trafford raised the volume to encourage them. The problem was a lack of consistent forward patterns from their men, which meant Brighton could easily push them back into their own territory.
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Philippe Clement claimed Josh Sargent refused to play in Norwich’s 5-1 FA Cup victory over Walsall – but insisted the USA striker would not be leaving Carrow Road during the transfer window.
The Canaries dominated their League Two opponents from start to finish, with Jovon Makama (pictured) leading the way with a hat-trick to take his tally for the season to 12.
“Josh sent me a message yesterday evening saying he would not be available because of transfer things in his head,” Clement said of a player linked with a move to Major League Soccer’s Toronto. “This is obviously not something we want, and will have consequences … The club has made it really clear to Josh and his agent that he will not be leaving.”
Nigel Clough praised the way his Mansfield team rewarded their supporters in their 4-3 victory at Sheffield United. Louis Reed scored twice against his old club, with Lucas Akins and Rhys Oates also on target, while United’s goals came from Gus Hamer, Patrick Bamford and a Nathan Moriah-Welsh own goal. The hosts had a penalty appeal waved away late on when Bamford went down under a challenge.
Clough said: “When you bring nearly 5,000 fans, although it’s just up the road, there’s a responsibility to put on a performance and have a go, and the players certainly did that. I thought the quality of the four goals we scored – their first one as well – was outstanding.”
United boss Chris Wilder was left to rue “individual errors” which proved costly. He said: “More than disappointing. I didn’t pick a team to get knocked out of the cup.”
Ollie Bostock kept his cool to hammer home the winning penalty in a shootout win at Swansea to bring to an end West Brom’s run of 10 successive away defeats. Having set up a goal for Jed Wallace in extra time to give his side a 2-1 lead, he hit the target following three successive misses to make it 6-5 in the shootout after the teams had been locked at 2-2 after extra time.
Dillon Phillips was the hero as Hull defeated Blackburn 4-3 on penalties after a drab goalless draw. Phillips saved Rovers’ first two attempts from Yuki Ohashi and Moussa Baradji. Hull’s Lewie Coyle was thwarted by Blackburn’s Balazs Toth but Kyle Joseph, Oli McBurnie, Charlie Hughes and David Akintola were all on target. PA Media
Photograph: Shaun Brooks/CameraSport
Two clumsy Cunha contributions – the second a loose pass meant for Manuel Ugarte – pointed to an anxiousness he and his teammates had to calm, and just after the hour Fletcher changed Mainoo for Joshua Zirkzee and the anonymous Mason Mount for Lacey.
There was, though, zero upturn, as Brighton scored again. Once more United’s defence was amateurish, allowing Welbeck to skip across the D and plant his foot through the ball, the former United player allowing Senne Lammens no chance to save.
Sesko’s goal was his third in two games, having previously struggled – one small spark of optimism on a dark day for United in this season horribilis.
