Bryan Mbeumo’s brace helped Manchester United secure a third win in a row as they survived a late scare to beat bogey team Brighton 4-2.
The Seagulls had won six of their last seven Premier League meetings with the Red Devils and arrived in the north-west seeking a fourth straight Old Trafford victory.
But United finally overcame their Brighton hoodoo with a 4-2 triumph, with Mbeumo’s goals following efforts from Matheus Cunha and Casemiro as they built on last weekend’s win at Liverpool.
That Anfield triumph saw Ruben Amorim celebrate back-to-back league wins for the first time since taking charge last November and this victory moved them up to fourth.
Cunha opened his United account with a 20-yard strike that Casemiro added to with a deflected effort before Mbeumo made it 3-0 after the break.
But the Red Devils rarely do things the easy way. In-form Danny Welbeck’s free-kick and teenage substitute Charalampos Kostoulas’ stoppage-time header had the hosts wobbling but Mbeumo struck at the death to wrap things up.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was in attendance for a match that United started on the front foot, with skipper Bruno Fernandes nodding wide barely 30 seconds into his 300th appearance for the club.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler complained former United striker Welbeck was shoved when shooting by Fernandes, who was leading even louder appeals against referee Antony Taylor.
Amad Diallo went down in the box after a Maxim De Cuyper challenge, but VAR Michael Oliver agreed that the full-back had played the ball.
Cunha saw a shot saved as play continued and Old Trafford was further enraged when Lewis Dunk stopped Mbeumo in the box – frustration they seemed to harness as they took a 24th-minute lead.
Cunha kept his cool after some battling play, taking a touch on the edge of the box and sending a precise right-footed effort beyond Bart Verbruggen.
Brighton fell further behind in the 34th minute. Luke Shaw’s high pressing had been noticeable from the outset, and he cut out Jan Paul van Hecke’s pass to Georginio Rutter. The ball went on to Casemiro, whose long-range strike hit Yasin Ayari and wrongfooted Verbruggen.
Dunk and Benjamin Sesko missed chances as the first half came to a close, with Fernandes forcing a point-blank stop from Brighton’s goalkeeper three minutes after half-time.
Sesko stung the palms before Senne Lammens’ fingertips denied Yankuba Minteh – an intervention missed by the officials – before United added another.
United won the ball and Sesko played in Mbeumo, who squeezed a low shot through Dunk’s legs and past Verbruggen at his near post in front of the Stretford End in the 61st minute.
Rutter saw claims ignored for a foul in the build-up by Shaw, who was soon replaced with an apparent knock.
Only a smart save from Verbruggen stopped Mbeumo adding another before freshly introduced Patrick Dorgu faced a VAR check for a potential red card.
The substitute tangled with Minteh when trying to stop him run through on goal but escaped with a booking, although he could not avoid punishment as Welbeck fired home the resulting free-kick in the 74th minute.
Lammens could have done better with that attempt but stopped Tommy Watson adding another soon after.
The United goalkeeper stopped an audacious Ferdi Kadioglu attempt as the clock wound down, but he was unable to stop Kostoulas reducing the deficit in stoppage time as he glanced home a James Milner corner.
Fernandes was denied by another Verbruggen stop and then smartly left a low Ayden Heaven pass that Mbeumo continued to lash home to settle nerves.
