One of the most enjoyable aspects of Roberto De Zerbi’s version of Brighton is their unpredictability.
They have the ability to experience terrible days. However, more often, they are able to provide 90 minutes of captivating beauty. Their visit to Sheffield on Sunday, with the help of a welcoming host, was undoubtedly the latter.
With only 10 opponents for a majority of the match, it felt like a training session. Facundo Buonanotte and Danny Welbeck scored two goals in quick succession in the first half, and later on, Jack Robinson scored an own goal followed by two goals from Simon Adingra. “We want six!” cheered the happy away team, while one frustrated Sheffield United fan yelled, “We want one!” in response.
Even by the standards of Brighton’s usual high line, having a defensive trio regularly comfortably exchanging possession way beyond the opposition centre-circle was telling.
Pascal Gross spent his afternoon delivering with uncanny precision; Kaoru Mitoma gracefully danced on the left side; and the opposing team must have felt overwhelmed by the constant barrage of passes from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Chris Wilder’s biggest frustration will likely be Brighton’s struggles on the road as of late. They have gone six league games without a win, including a humiliating defeat against Luton. Is there hope for United? Possibly, but it was short-lived as Mason Holgate was given a red card early on in the game for an offense that would have likely resulted in arrest outside of a football stadium.
Despite the criticism from the audience, Stuart Atwell made only one error during the game by initially issuing a yellow card. However, thanks to the Var, Michael Oliver, Atwell was quickly corrected and upgraded his decision.
Following Holgate’s ejection, Brighton swiftly and decisively took control of the game. They started by sending a corner kick towards Lewis Dunk at the far post, who then headed it back towards the goal for Buonanotte to score, despite the efforts of two United players defending the goal line.
For his next cross, Gross plucked a pitching wedge from his bag and delivered a deliciously inviting ball for Mitoma darting in at the far post. Wes Foderingham’s palm was strong, as too though, was Welbeck’s follow-up volley.
In a matter of four minutes, Wilder and Alan Knill joined in a somber conversation on the sidelines. After deliberation, they decided to substitute Will Osula, United’s sole starting forward, for Auston Trusty, an extra centre-back. This decision was not meant to be criticized; rather, it was an attempt to salvage the game.
As the game paused, United saw a glimmer of hope as Ben Osborn scored from a corner. Atwell initially signaled a foul, but was then asked to review the play on his monitor.
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In the end, the objective was disallowed due to an offside call. Osborn had positioned himself in front of Bart Verbruggen, and even though defenders were involved in the play, his close proximity to the goal and goalkeeper were taken into consideration.
However, it was evident that United displayed some effort at that stage. Although not all of it was well executed, Vinícius Souza, in particular, appeared determined to kick anything in his path. Nevertheless, it was still a commendable effort.
The fire was put out soon after the break. Brighton kept up their mesmerizing passing and it was a bit unexpected that it took so much time for a third goal to be scored. It was scored by the unlucky Robinson, who accidentally deflected Mitoma’s cross into the net.
Three was swiftly followed by four and five. In the initial encounter, Adingra successfully countered Gross’s cross and then scored against Foderingham with assistance from a significant deflection off Trusty.
The home supporters who stayed until the very end of stoppage time were too exhausted to even boo. They know that Manchester United still has a few months left of playing without much passion.
Source: theguardian.com
