Match Reports

Report: Albion 3 Manchester United 2

By James Hilsum • 19 August 2018

  • Albion beat Manchester United 3-2 at the Amex Stadium
  • Glenn Murray, Shane Duffy and Pascal Gross on target for the Seagull
  • Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba strike for United
  • Martin Montoya makes his Albion debut

Brighton & Hove Albion recorded their first Premier League win of the season with an entertaining 3-2 victory over Manchester United at the Amex Stadium.
 
A goal each from Glenn Murray and Shane Duffy along with a Pascal Gross penalty, was enough to secure another memorable win over the Red Devils, who scored through Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba.
 
Anthony Knockaert worked Albion’s first opening of the game when he was allowed to weave inside from the right flank and send a teasing cross to Gross, who backheeled the pass, but no one in a Seagulls shirt could latch onto the ball.
 
Duffy was then called into action down the other end to block Anthony Martial’s effort, after the Frenchman broke forward into the box.
 
The visitors nearly took advantage of a lapse in concentration in the Albion defence, as Pogba took hold of a loose ball and threaded a pass towards Lukaku, but the latter fired wide from close range.
 
The Seagulls were forced into an early change with 20 minutes played, as Lewis Dunk came off injured and was replaced by Leon Balogun for his Premier League debut.
 
Despite the setback, Albion were next to venture forward when Dale Stephens threaded an excellent ball into the path of Knockaert, but the winger dragged his angled attempt wide of the far post.
 
The deadlock was broken just moments later thanks to Murray, who provided the deftest of finishes from Solly March’s ball across the box to give Albion the lead with 25 minutes on the clock.
 
The lead was doubled just two minutes later when Gross played the ball back across the box, and Duffy was there inside the penalty area to connect with a powerful finish past David De Gea.

But United halved the deficit courtesy of Lukaku, as Luke Shaw played a ball back into the area after Albion failed to deal with a corner, allowing the Belgian to make it 2-1 in the 34th minute.
 
Knockaert had a chance to restore Brighton’s two-goal advantage with a set piece in a promising position, but the Frenchman fired the resulting free-kick over the bar.
 
Albion did make it 3-1 with two minutes of the first half remaining, after Gross was brought down inside the area by Eric Bailly, and the German’s resulting penalty clipped in off De Gea’s trailing leg to send the Amex crowd into raptures.
 
Chances were few and far between in a cagey start to the second period, with Paul Pogba’s off-target header from Anthony Martial’s corner the only chance of note in the opening 15 minutes of the half.

The Seagulls had less of the ball in the second half but remained solid in defence and looked to catch their opponents on the break.

The visitors were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time, after Duffy tripped Marouane Fellaini inside the box - Pogba converted from 12 yards but it was too late for a comeback, as the Seagulls claimed victory.
 
ALBION: Ryan; Montoya, Duffy, Dunk (Balogun 20), Bong; Knockaert, Stephens, Propper, March; Gross (Kayal 89); Murray (Locadia 90+1).
 
SUBS NOT USED: Button (GK), Bernardo, Bissouma, Jahanbakhsh.
 
1901 CLUB LOTTERY
 
1ST PRIZE  £1000 163372
2ND PRIZE        161029
3RD PRIZE        166069
4TH PRIZE        163961
5TH PRIZE        162079

ALBION HAT TRICK
 
1ST £550 4502
2ND £50  1081
3RD £25  3628

1ST GOAL TIME 25 MINS