Manchester United‘s aspirations for the FA Cup were dashed by Brighton in the third round, marking the first time since 1982 that they’ve been knocked out of both domestic cups at the initial stage. For over four decades, United had always managed to advance at least one round in either of the two tournaments. However, their loss to the Seagulls only adds to the disappointment that began with a shocking defeat at Grimsby Town.
United’s lacklustre season meant that the FA Cup was their last realistic shot at securing any silverware this term, but those hopes have now been extinguished. Danny Welbeck’s goal against his old team turned out to be the decisive blow for Brighton. The Red Devils were outplayed for much of Sunday afternoon and, despite a late glimmer of hope from Benjamin Sesko, a comeback wasn’t on the cards.
Earlier in the season, they had staged a dramatic recovery against Grimsby, scoring twice in the dying minutes. However, they ended up losing in a thrilling penalty shootout.
In the Premier League, United, still without a manager following Ruben Amorim‘s dismissal, are lagging 17 points behind leaders Arsenal, but remain in contention for a Champions League spot. Their dismal performance last season means there is no European football this time around.
Diogo Dalot expressed his disappointment after missing two huge opportunities to score in the first half of the match.
The Portuguese defender believed United had done enough to secure a victory, but a late red card for Shea Lacey left them at a disadvantage and ultimately led to their defeat.
Speaking to TNT Sports, he lamented: “We created enough to win the game to be honest. Then the red card gave us a disadvantage because we were on top of Brighton in the last moments.
“Overall very disappointed because we wanted to go through. All the lads kept trying to find spaces, like I said really disappointed because I think we deserved to win.
Dalot conceded, with Amorim being dismissed earlier this week and Darren Fletcher coming in as caretaker, that it has been a challenge to negotiate.
He confessed: “Really difficult. It’s always a period that you have to find ways to solve problems really quickly. We have to adapt and go again.”