Ruben Amorim heads into the weekend looking to build on back-to-back Premier League wins as Manchester United welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Old Trafford on Saturday.
United are fresh from their most impressive result under Amorim, a 2–1 triumph over Liverpool at Anfield. Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring early before Harry Maguire’s late header sealed victory after Cody Gakpo’s equalizer. That win followed a comfortable 2–0 success at home to Sunderland, giving Amorim his first consecutive league wins since taking charge.
Now he will be aiming for three straight victories, something United have not achieved in the same season since February 2024. The good news for Amorim is that his team have rediscovered some strength at home, winning their last three league games at Old Trafford, matching their total from the previous 13 combined.
However, history does not make it easy. Brighton have enjoyed recent trips to Manchester, winning their last three league visits to Old Trafford. No team has achieved four in a row there since Manchester City in the early 1970s.
Key Players and Stats
Bruno Fernandes remains central to United’s hopes. The captain has two goals and one assist this season, directly contributing to six points, which ranks among the highest individual impacts in the league. His perfect cross set up Maguire’s winner at Anfield.
Matheus Cunha, who started ahead of Benjamin Šeško in that match, has been a handful for defenders, recording more shots after ball carries than any other player in the Premier League this season. He is still chasing his first United goal.
Bryan Mbeumo is also worth watching. He has been directly involved in six goals against Brighton in his last four starts, scoring three and assisting three, making him a consistent threat in this fixture.
Brighton’s Challenge
Fabian Hürzeler’s Brighton come into this clash sitting 10th, just one point behind United. They beat Newcastle 2–1 last weekend with former United man Danny Welbeck scoring twice. The striker has now scored four goals in his last three games, more than in his previous fifteen combined.
But Brighton’s major headache is their defense. They have kept only one clean sheet in their last 20 Premier League outings. Despite that, they have lost just two of their last 13 matches, winning seven and drawing four, showing they can still grind out results.
Hürzeler could be boosted by the possible return of Kaoru Mitoma and Joël Veltman, while Solly March, Jack Hinshelwood, and Adam Webster remain out. For United, Lisandro Martínez is the only confirmed absentee.
Head-to-Head
Brighton have beaten United in six of their last seven league meetings, a remarkable record considering United had dominated this fixture in earlier years. The Seagulls won 3–1 in their last visit to Old Trafford in January, with Mitoma and Georginio Rutter on target.
Prediction
According to the Opta supercomputer, this fixture is tough to call. United have a 37.7 percent chance of victory, while Brighton are close behind at 35.9 percent. The draw stands at 26.4 percent.
If Amorim can keep his side focused after the Liverpool win, he has a real chance to make it three straight Premier League victories, something that could reignite belief around Old Trafford. But Brighton’s recent record in this fixture means nothing will come easy.
Predicted Lineups
Manchester United: Senne Lammens, Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, Luke Shaw, Manuel Ugarte, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo, Matheus Cunha.
Coach: Ruben Amorim
Brighton & Hove Albion: Bart Verbruggen, Lewis Dunk, Jan Paul van Hecke, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Mats Wieffer, Carlos Baleba, Yasin Ayari, Georginio Rutter, Yankuba Minteh, Maxim De Cuyper, Danny Welbeck.
Coach: Fabian Hürzeler
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