Old Trafford had barely settled when United struck twice. Lacey finished a flowing move in the 8th minute and Mount made it 2-0 on 10 minutes after Marcus Rashford had tested Jason Steele. Brighton’s response came right on the interval, with Kostoulas pulling one back at 45+1 after Jaouen Hadjam’s assist on a fast break. United went into the break ahead but the momentum had shifted.

The second half belonged to the visitors. Groß levelled on 65 minutes, guided by a pass from Luka Vušković and a tidy left-foot finish. De Cuyper, introduced on 66 minutes, then completed the turnaround with a right-foot strike in the 69th minute. Five minutes of stoppage time followed, with Maxim De Cuyper booked at 90+1 for time-wasting, but Brighton saw it out. The referee Farai Hallam added three minutes in the first half and five in the second, and Brighton used that window well. Steele also produced a key last-man tackle and two saves, further steadying the away side.

Why the stats favored Brighton

Possession finished level at 50-50, but almost everything else leaned Brighton. They took 18 shots to United’s 11 and hit the target five times to United’s four. The shot profile told the story even more clearly: Brighton produced 14 shots inside the box compared to United’s five. Touches in the penalty area were 39-17, a strong indicator of where the pressure lived after the early blitz.

Chance quality separated the sides in knockout football. Brighton created five big chances to United’s one and converted three of them, while United scored none of their big chances. Through balls were 4-1 for Brighton, helping break United’s block and set tempo in the final third. Crosses also tilted blue and white, with Brighton completing 5 of 15 (33%) vs United’s 1 of 10 (10%). Defensively, Brighton won the interceptions 13-8 and led ball recoveries 71-58, keeping attacks alive and transitions flowing. The average Sofascore Rating mirrored it, 7.27 for Brighton against United’s 7.00.

United’s early burst, then the drop-off

United’s start was clinical: four first-half shots produced three on target and two goals. After the break they managed seven shots but only one on target, despite edging second-half possession and entries into the final third. The duels painted a different kind of dominance, with United winning 57% overall and taking both ground (58%) and aerial (52%) battles. Yet the final touch was missing; only 17 touches in the box across 90 minutes left them short when it mattered.

The crossing return underlined that theme, at 1 of 10 completed. United also hit 23 of 61 long balls (38%), slightly behind Brighton’s 26 of 55 (47%). Rashford drove the home threat with 11 progressive carries and three shots, but he also logged a big chance missed. Karl Darlow made two saves yet finished with a 5.8 Sofascore Rating, while Steele matched the saves total, swept well outside his area and posted a 7.0. United committed just five fouls and saw no bookings, but Brighton’s aggression without losing structure won more of the key moments.

MVP: Pascal Groß leads the comeback

Pascal Groß was the engine and the finisher Brighton needed, earning a 7.8 Sofascore Rating. He scored the equaliser on 65 minutes and threaded chance after chance from midfield. Groß completed 58 of 64 passes, a high-volume, high-accuracy platform that Brighton built on. He delivered five key passes and created two big chances, which lined up with Brighton’s clear final-third superiority.

Beyond the assist zones, Groß added three crosses, one interception and four recoveries, while taking three shots and hitting the target once. His 78 touches and steady tempo management helped flip the match narrative after United’s quick start. Around him, Luka Vušković supplied the assist for 2-2, and Jason Steele’s composure supported the back line. Close behind in the numbers were Maxim De Cuyper on 7.7, who scored the winner from the bench, and Shea Lacey on 7.6 after his early goal for United. It was Groß, though, who tied the strands together and put Brighton in control.