Pascal Gross’s first-half double gave Brighton a surprise 2-1 win at Man Utd as Erik ten Hag’s Old Trafford reign got off to the worst possible start.
The unmarked Brighton midfielder found himself in the right place, at the right time, to tap the visitors into a 2-0 lead with two goals in nine minutes in the Manchester sunshine, as the hosts were booed off at half-time by the own fans.
However, Alexis Mac Allister’s scrappy own goal midway through the second period, awarded after a lengthy Video Assistant Referee check for both handball and offside, briefly breathed new life into the hosts and their supporters.
But United were unable to find an equaliser and as a result, Ten Hag suffered defeat in his first Premier League encounter, while Brighton secured a famous and rare win at Old Trafford having drawn just one of their last nine league visits, with eight defeats.