Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Old Trafford sets the stage for a high-stakes Premier League showdown between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Amad Diallo’s scintillating late hat-trick inspired Manchester United to a come-from-behind 3-1 home win against basement boys Southampton in midweek Premier League action, preventing them from losing four consecutive top-flight home games for the first time since 1903. However, the Red Devils commenced this round in the lower reaches, seeking a first set of back-to-back league triumphs this season. Brighton’s visit won’t make it easy for Ruben Amorim’s charges as they’ve lost five of their last six Premier League H2Hs (W1), including two in a row at Old Trafford. Another defeat would see United lose three successive home league games against specific opposition for only the third time in Premier League history. That’s a distinct possibility, considering just two of Man Utd’s seven league wins this season came against the current top-half sides.

On the other hand, Brighton finally halted their underwhelming eight-game winless run in the Premier League during midweek (D6, L2), dispatching newly promoted Ipswich Town 2-0 on the road to sneak into the upper half of the table pre-round. It was also Brighton’s first away league win in six matches (D4, L1) and their first clean sheet outside East Sussex since a narrow 1-0 victory at Newcastle United in mid-October. Interestingly, Fabian Hurzeler’s men have amassed 16 of their 31 top-flight points this season away from home, suggesting another success at the Theater of Dreams isn’t beyond them. Adding to this sentiment, the Seagulls boast a remarkable 47% win ratio against Man Utd in the Premier League – a feat unmatched in the division’s history.