United 2 Albion 3: 50-year record broken as Albion stun Old Trafford

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Albion can head into the Carabao Cup fourth round after beating Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford.

Charlie Hanson

2026-09-16T22:00+01:00

Babis Kostoulas netted his third goal of the season, surpassing his tally for the entirety of the 2025/26 campaign. 📸 by James Boardman.

Albion ended a 50-year Old Trafford record as they beat Manchester United 3-2 in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Two goals down before we'd even hit the ten-minute mark had disappointment written all over it for Fabian Hurzeler's men, but boy did they respond.

Without a defeat in their last 145 games at Old Trafford when two-nil up, Manchester United were seemingly bystanders to Albion's undying energy as they lost in front of their own fans.

The second of three matches in seven days unsurprisingly saw Fabian Hurzeler ring the changes from Sunday’s 5-0 win over Coventry City, with six fresh faces coming into the XI.

That included full Albion debuts for Chema Andres and Jaouen Hadjam, although their joy of pulling on the Albion shirt from the start was shortlived.

Shea Lacey’s rifled finish into the bottom right corner after eight minutes was an early blow, and the visitors hardly had the chance to catch their breath before Mason Mount half-volleyed in a second goal a minute later.

Olivier Boscagli’s shot from range flew narrowly over the bar as Albion grew in confidence, before Malick Yalcouye’s one-two with captain Pascal Gross saw the Ivorian played in on goal.

Malick Yalcouye curled an effort wide as Albion looked for a way back into the game. 📸 by James Boardman.

The 20-year-old’s searing pace took him away from the United defence, but the placement of his shot was wayward as he looked for the bottom right corner, flashing the chance wide.

United’s two-goal cushion was clearly there to be got at. Only a last ditch Ayden Heaven challenge denied Matt O’Riley with a well taken volley after he took the ball down on his chest in the United box, before Gross skied a strike from seven yards.

The pressure would finally tell just before half-time. Hadjam had time to pick out the run of Babis Kostoulas sitting on the shoulder of the last defender, racing down the right of the box before showing a poacher’s instinct to slot the ball through keeper Karl Darlow’s legs from an angle.

Babis Kostoulas ensured Albion's first half efforts were rewarded with a lovely finish in the first minute of first half stoppage time. 📸 by James Boardman.

The next goal was clearly going to be decisive and had it not been for Jason Steele's reading of the game United could have put themselves out of sight. Pascal Struijk's pass back to the keeper after 53 minutes was undercooked and Benjamin Sesko looked certain to race onto it, but Steele's inch-perfect challenge 40 yards from his own goal ensured his Dutch teammate's blushes were spared.

Pascal Gross' equaliser was the fifth goal he has scored at Old Trafford. 📸 by James Boardman.

But when you're playing away at Old Trafford, who would you count on to score? You'd be right to say Pascal Gross. United's attempts to play out from the back were punished emphatically as Struijk's header just inside the hosts' half found Gross in acres of space on the edge of the box. He shuffled past a recovering Leny Yoro before tucking past Darlow for the eighth goal of his career against United and fifth at Old Trafford.

Hurzeler turned to his bench to continue the momentum and his decision to introduce Maxim De Cuyper and Diego Gomez after 66 minutes proved to be inspired. The Belgium international completed the comeback after Kostoulas's cross from the right took a helpful deflection off the backside of Noussair Mazrouri and Maxim was there to poke home from six yards.

Maxim De Cuyper and Diego Gomez's faces say it all. 📸 by James Boardman.

The footballing gods would have been smiling down on United had Marcus Rashford found an equaliser with 15 minutes to go. With no VAR in place for tonight's game, the striker was half a yard offside when he was found by substitute Bruno Fernandes. In on goal and with the flag staying down, the England international couldn't quite believe that he was denied one-on-one by Jason Steele, with the keeper getting an outstretched leg on Rashford's tame effort.

The Mancunian, who spent last season on loan with Barcelona, sank down on his haunches. But at the other end there was disappointment too for Kostoulas as he was picked out by Gross eight yards from goal, but he saw his goalbound shot headed away by Yoro with Darlow beaten.

United's keeper did well to deny Gomez one-on-one but his teammates couldn't find an equally good breakthrough down the other end, much to the frustration of the home crowd, but not the 855 Albion supporters who made the journey for what was truly an unforgettable night.

Oh, and did we mention we're in the fourth round?

Albion: Steele, Costinha, Boscagli (sub: Ayari 74), Vuskovic, Struijk, Hadjam (Kadioglu 74), Andres, Gross, O’Riley (De Cuyper 66), Yalcouye (Gomez 66), Kostoulas (Georginio 82).