United boss Erik ten Hag suffered his first defeat, in the first game of his maiden campaign in England.
United were thrashed by two goals to one by Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford, in a disappointing start to the Premier League season by the Red Devils.
Graham Potter’s men did more than enough and deserved the victory against a lacklustre United side that lacked any threat or defensive cohesion.
Despite staging a relatively spirited fight, the team only managed to pull one back through a forced Alexis Mac Allister own goal.
The Red Devils finished the game with 63% possession to Brighton’s 37%.
Ten Hag’s side attempted 17 shots, 5 of which were on target.
Their rivals had 2 fewer shots, 4 of which were on target including the all-important 2 goals to clinch them all 3 points against the 20-time English champions.
United completed 537 passes, with an 82% accuracy. Potter’s side completed 320 passes, with a pass accuracy of 70%. Source: sofascore.com.
While many of United’s players were poor and did not look to have improved on last season’s form, the new signings stood out.
Christian Eriksen was undoubtedly United’s best performer in their defeat. The Dane had 79 touches of the ball and completed 43 passes, 7 of which were successful long ones. He also made 6 crosses.
The 30-year-old was especially effective when he dropped into a deeper role where he was effectively pulling the strings.
The playmaker was immense in his defensive duties, making an impressive 4 tackles.
Eriksen also had 3 shots on goal and created 3 chances for his teammates.
Christian Eriksen’s game by numbers vs. Brighton:
79 touches
43 passes completed
7 long passes
6 crosses
4 tackles
3 chances created
3 shotsUnited’s best player when he dropped to DM. pic.twitter.com/jugisr2nVR
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 7, 2022
Undoubtedly a disappointing start to the season, the defeat should serve as a reminder of how much work still needs to be done both in the market and on the training ground.
