MAN UNITED 2, BRIGHTON 0
Cristiano Ronaldo ended his goalscoring drought to help lift Manchester United back into the Premier League’s top four.
The Portuguese striker, whose barren run extended to six matches, broke the deadlock with his 15th goal of the season early in the second half.
Remarkably Ronaldo has now scored against 168 different opponents in his career for club and country, while he’s also scored at least once in each of the last 21 calendar years stretching back to 2002.
His goal came after Brighton were by far the better and more effective side in the opening period.
A touch of genius was needed and Ronaldo, being written off after his poor run of late, answered his critics in the best possible way.
The Reds sealed victory in the sixth added minute when Bruno Fernandes sealed victory with his eighth of the season after he had gone five games without a goal.
The win certainly lifted spirits and Ronaldo, who had looked distinctly unhappy in recent weeks, played with a smile on his face in the second period.
Embed from Getty ImagesRalph Rangnick, United’s interim manager, praised Ronaldo, explaining: “It was an amazing goal, and overall a very good performance from Cristiano who was always trying to help his team-mates.
“It was a very important goal for us, and it was all about getting the three points.”
Rangnick added it was different from the last three games, which had all ended 1-1 after United had faded in the second halves having taken the lead.
He said: “First half was Mr Hyde, second half Dr Jekyll and for a change it (the result) was different.
“After the first half we could see it was not an easy game and the fans were a bit nervous and anxious.
“Brighton are one of the top three teams in possession. Liverpool and Manchester City struggled against them.”
David De Gea added: “It is great always when you have the three points especially after we draw the last few games. We are all very happy.
“We knew that Brighton is one of the teams that play very well with the ball, press very good and for me it is a very good team. We started the second half better, we scored the goal, they went a man down, but a big three points and the performance was there.
“It great to be honest, a very difficult one. In that moment it was a big save because we kept a clean sheet. This is what we want in this moment, keep compact defensively. It was a great save to be honest.
“The message (at half-time) was that we are playing at home, and we pressed high in the second half. We controlled the game after the red card and there was a five-minute spell when they came back.”
“We should be fighting for more things than the top four, but that is the reality. There are many teams fighting for the same position and with the quality we have we should win a lot of points.”
Brighton manager Graham Potter was left to reflect on what might have been.
He said: “I am proud of my players, proud of the performance and proud what we did, but frustrated because we didn’t get something from the game as it felt a missed opportunity.
“I felt we were the better side in the first half when their attacks came from our errors.
“We didn’t start the second half well enough, and it was a world-class finish from a world-class player and then there was a controversial sending off.
“It was always going to be difficult when it was 10 versus 11, but credit to the boys. (Jakub) Moder hit the bar and Danny (Welbeck) had a header.”
There were an initial two changes for United from the side that drew with Southampton, with Fred and Anthony Elanga coming in for Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford, who both dropped to the bench.
But Rangnick was forced into a third one when Raphael Varane, named on the teamsheet, failed to recover having been taken ill at the hotel pre-match, so Victor Lindelof was given a starting spot.
For Brighton, Leandro Trossard, Alexis MacAllister and Yves Bissouma replaced Adam Lallana, Lamptey and Danny Welbeck.
Brighton, who had an incredible 86 per cent possession in the opening stages, had the first chance of the match in the fifth minute when Moder’s angled shot was beaten away by David De Gea.
That was quickly followed by Ronaldo setting up Jadon Sancho whose effort was beaten out by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and from the follow up Sancho’s effort was hooked over his own crossbar by Lewis Dunk.”
After a bright opening, the game died with radio pundit Mark Lawrenson declaring United were “ordinary at best”.
And there was one great analogy which likened the Reds to a broken light You know when it runs out of gas, you flick and flick trying to get a spark going but it just doesn’t happen.
Fans became increasingly disgruntled and barely had half an hour been played when there were chants of ‘we want the Glazers out’.
And it would have been even worse but for a wonder save from De Gea to keep out a header from Moder while Yves Bissouma flashed a shot narrowly wide when he ought to have hit the target in an opening period in which Brighton had eight goal attempts to the Reds’ three.
There was an explosive start to the second half as within the space of one minute Ronaldo broke the deadlock and Brighton were reduced to 10 men after Lewis Dunk was sent off for denying Elanga a goalscoring opportunity.
The deadlock was broken in the 51st minute when Bissouma had his pocket picked by Scott McTominay. The ball rebounded to Ronaldo who broke forward before firing low to the left of Sanchez from the edge of the box.
Then almost immediately from the restart, Dunk was dispossessed by Elanga who was hauled down by the centre back as he broke clear.
Referee Peter Bankes initially produced a yellow card before a VAR review by Kevin Friend who sent Bankes to the pitchside monitor. And after reviewing replays, Bankes rescinded the yellow and produced a red card to leave the Seagulls with a mountain to climb.
United would have doubled their lead but for a fabulous reflex save to turn over a header from Ronaldo who was only six yard out when he met Bruno Fernandes’ cross.
They ought to have scored again with 19 minutes left when Ronaldo intercepted a wayward pass by Sanchez as he played out from the back.
Instead of going for goal from a tight angle, Ronaldo squared a pass to Fernandes who was in a central position only for him to be superbly denied by Sanchez who atoned his error.
Ronaldo squandered another great chance when he saw a far-post header flash past the upright from Fernandes’ cross.
United made their three changes in quick succession when Fred, Elanga and Sancho made way for Pogba, Rashford and Alex Telles.
Brighton’s 10 men refused to concede defeat and Moder struck the bar after cutting in from the left.
United exploited the extra space as Fernandes and Harry Maguire were both denied by routine saves by Sanchez.
Brighton had another great chance to draw level in the 90th minute when substitute Danny Welbeck, once an Old Trafford favourite, headed over from six yards from Tariq Lamptey’s cross, a presentable opening.