Carabao Cup: Brighton comeback sees heightened turmoil for Michael Carrick and Man Utd
Michael Carrick and Manchester United’s tumultuous start to the 2026-27 season continued after a moral-damaging 3-2 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup third round on Wednesday.
Sports News Blitz’s Robert Bore assesses the turmoil going on at Old Trafford so far this season.
Post-match thoughts
When I heard Dalot was starting in goal I gave the dog one of his trademark high fives, at least he would be out of our defence, right?
Wrong, it was Karl Darlow, between the sticks for his United debut after leaving Leeds in the summer.
So that left no Senne Lammens, meaning our other resident lemon keeping his slot on the right-side of the back four - inexplicably so after his Manchester Derby performance, which was overshadowed by two VAR operators struggling with the rules of football.
Youngsters the big talking points
While all the pre-match talk surrounded 15-year-old JJ Gabriel’s apparent strike, across the picket line there was a first start for England U-20 international Shea Lacey, a big night for the highly-rated 19-year-old.
With Carrick ringing eight changes from the derby travesty, Youri Tielemans was named skipper as Bruno Fernandes and further reinforcements waited on the bench.
It was going to be a weird one, to be honest, but after being dumped by Grimsby a year ago, it couldn’t be any worse, could it?
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It gets even worse
Marcus Rashford was given an early look at Brighton full-back Costinha in the opening minutes but the lad looked to have some pace. The England man really needed a goal to kick-start his second coming.
Lacey, sent off in the cup against the Seagulls after coming on last season, had a decent early run, making yards and retaining possession under challenge from two defenders.
Soon after he played a raking pass into Benjamin Sesko, but the best was to come.
Tielemans found him just inside the area on the right, the youngster cutting inside but rather than aim for the far corner, he shifted his weight and pinged the ball left-footed into the near corner.
It was a sumptuous finish. Exquisite even. We had just over eight minutes.
Devastating comeback
I’d hardly caught my breath when it was two!
The visitors tried to play out from the back but United pressed with numbers, Rashford eventually nipping in to nick the ball, arrowing goalwards and forcing Jason Steele to save with his feet.
But the rebound was met by the onrushing - and lesser spotted - Mason Mount who hit his shot into the ground but into the back of the net.
A mere 43 seconds had elapsed between Lacey’s stunner and United’s money being doubled.
Then it all went a bit scrappy. Brighton bucked up a bit, Noussair Mazraoui took a clattering, Leny Yoro tried to give one away and Ayden Heaven tried to win a cheap free-kick and almost let the visitors in.
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Defensive turmoil
Somewhere, probably near a hospital or medical centre, Matthijs de Ligt was shaking his head.
Yoro and Dalot did well to play out of trouble, until the Frenchman’s touch was heavier than stag do hangover and the ball was nicked back but United survived.
Oliver Boscagli wasn’t far away from range while Rashford channeled his inner Ronaldinho to put the ball through his markers legs and win a corner.
Brighton kept probing
Malick Yalcouye should probably have reduced the deficit after some more shoddy defending, on our right of course, saw him spring clear but he could only fire wide under pressure from Heaven. Brighton were knocking on the door.
Heaven blocked well from a fierce Matthew O’Reilly strike and as the ball spun back across the United box - and through Dalot’s legs - the ‘usually reliable against United’ Pascal Gross slashing it over the top with all the artistry of a drunken octopus.
United did manage to get a bit of the ball again before the break, Rashford looking increasingly dangerous with very touch, but it was game on just as we entered three added minutes.
Sesko was robbed cheaply inside the Brighton half before Jaouen Hadjam raked a long diagonal over the top that Darlow failed to come for, Charalampos Kostoulas hardly able to believe his luck as he stroked the ball home from six yards virtually unopposed. Heaven may have been culpable but the keeper definitely was.
Darlow, Dalot… Tomato, Tomahto!
The second half was set up now with no changes at the break for either side and United attacking the Stretford End.
If I’d had more than one English pence in my account, I’d have fancied the 8/1 on offer for a Brighton win.
Rashford did well again to get to the byline for the cut back, his quick turn of pace a genuine threat whenever he had the ball.
Tielemans turned brilliantly on the halfway line then sent his shot into orbit from rage, Sesko thwarted by Steele who had raced out of his box in the nick of time before Mount took the award for ‘worst effort of the season’ when trying to catch the Brighton man off his line.
Hadjam went into the book after getting turned inside out by Lacey, then turning the United man inside out in reply.
Rashford skipped his defender yet again to play in Mazraoui, who won a corner, from which Tielemans curled over the top.
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Calamitous moments
Dalot was doing Dalot things again, first caught way out of position as another long ball raked over his head and then failing to defend before, hidden under some loose papers on my desk, the Calamity Button started blinking. Slow at first but then quicker.
United were trying to play out under pressure, my man Dalot eventually trying to clear his lines left-footed - the same left foot that couldn’t clear more than three yards at Leeds last season and cost us the opener.
But his hoof didn’t make it out of his own half where Sesko should have done better. Now normally, the returning Brighton header would have been swatted away blindfolded by any centre-back worth his salt, but there wasn’t one.
Just Gross on his own on the edge of the box and he made no mistake for his eighth goal against the red of Manchester.
Brighton take over
I took the Calamity Button off the desk and put it on the floor, just out of my eye line.
But I could see its reflection off the cooker door as it started blinking again, and it was even quicker than before.
This must be really bad this time. It was. Mazraoui looked like he was moonwalking through treacle as he attempted to ‘chase’ Kostoulas, allowing the youngster to cut the ball back for recent sub Maxim De Cuyper to convert with space in the United box.
That 8/1 was now 1/2, hardly seemed worth it now.
Missed opportunities
Mind you, if I had, Rashford would have wrecked it. Subs Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes combined to release the England man but again Steele thwarted with a foot, it was a golden opportunity. He should have levelled.
If I’d put money on Brighton, I have absolutely no doubt he would have.
Truth be told, he’d been, apart from the Calamity Button, the brightest thing in red but should have had two goals on the night.
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Last-ditch efforts fail
United would need to step it up and sharpish.
Rashford departed for Matheus Cunha for the last roll of the dice.
Yoro’s head ensured it wasn’t 4-2 and game over as United continued to make sloppy errors, Joshua Zirkzee this time the culprit as they struggled to get out of their own defensive third. From half an hour in, Albion had been much the better side.
Dalot failed with a short pass to Mainoo to hand possession back again and soon after Darlow needed to stand tall as Gross played in Diego Gomez, who should have tucked the tie into bed and turned out the lights.
United hadn’t lost from two goals up at home in 50 or so years. But they didn’t look like rescuing the situation, failing to cope with Brighton’s press all evening.
They were all over the shop and we had five added minutes remaining.
The clock showed as much mercy as Brighton and there were boos at the end as Carrick looked bemused on the sideline. As was I.
The Calamity Button bore the brunt, lying shattered in pieces on the kitchen floor, a splintered remnant of glories past, much like my football team.
