This Amorim decision made all the difference as United grabbed a tenacious 3-2 win over Brighton

Manchester United defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 in what was a highly convincing display. Man United pulled no punches in front of the jubilant Old Trafford crowd, attacking with determination and defending with grit throughout the encounter. Ultimately, it was United’s summer signings who made all the difference, with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, and Senne Lammens putting in highly impactful performances for their new club. Clearly, transfers are something that manager Ruben Amorim has gotten right. First half Given Brighton’s decent form against United in recent games, the hosts appeared to be on high alert, maintaining control of possession and defending well. Then, in the seventh minute, it seemed as if the visitors could have opened the scoring. Former United player Danny Welbeck burst down the right wing, putting a through ball to Yankuba Minteh in the middle, who was virtually one-on-one with the keeper. The Brighton forward hit the ball wide, allowing United to breathe a sigh of relief. The visitors continued to pressure United’s defence. Carlos Baleba, a transfer target of the home side, passed to Welbeck in the centre of the box, whose shot was well saved by Senne Lammens. United replied with a quick counter, only for Amad Diallo’s leg to be clipped in the box. Despite calls for a spot kick, the referee determined that there wasn’t enough in the challenge for a penalty. Matheus Cunha attempted an audacious shot from outside the box that veered just wide of the far post. Suddenly, United’s performance started to look a whole lot more encouraging. A few moments later, Cunha was in the thick of the action yet again, this time threading the ball through to Casemiro, who rushed into the box and slammed his shot into the side netting, albeit from a very tight angle. In the 24th minute, United’s determination paid off. Casemiro returned the favour by supplying Cunha this time, who fired his shot hard and true from the edge of the box past the keeper and into the bottom right corner. A phenomenal first United goal for the Brazilian. On the half-hour mark, Minteh danced past Yoro, seemingly in on goal. Fortunately, Luke Shaw was in his path, allowing Lammens to scoop up the ball. With just 12 minutes left of the half, Casemiro doubled United’s lead. Shaw intercepted the ball in Brighton’s half, with United ready to take full advantage. Casemiro took a shot from outside the box, which was deflected off Jan Paul van Hecke. After some deliberation, the goal was awarded to the Brazilian, with Old Trafford erupting in delight. On the stroke of half-time, Bryan Mbeumo handed Benjamin Sesko a golden opportunity to score, passing him the ball just ten metres from the goal line. Unfortunately, Sesko ballooned his shot over the crossbar. Still, there was little for United to complain about, going into the break with a comfortable two-goal cushion. Second half Following the restart, United looked just as determined to score as they did in the first half. Just four minutes into the second half, United almost scored again when Amad’s pass rebounded off Maxim De Cuyper into the path of Cunha. The Brazilian laid the ball off to Bruno Fernandes, who took a fiery shot, only for Bart Verbruggen to deny his effort. On the hour mark, Mbeumo got in on the action, cutting into the box and taking a left-footed shot that squeezed through the legs of Lewis Dunk and past the keeper. 3-0 to United as they appeared set to cruise to a comfortable victory. Also worth mentioning is that Sesko earned his first assist in the Premier League. Ruben Amorim then decided to make a change, bringing off a tired Luke Shaw for Ayden Heaven. Clearly, Shaw had earned a rest following a strong performance. On the stroke of 70 minutes, Amad was replaced by Patrick Dorgu, while Kobbie Mainoo came on for Casemiro. Mbeumo almost found yet another goal when he took a surgical shot with his first touch, only for the ball to strike the upright. Moments later, Brighton were on the attack, with Minteh getting on the end of a long ball. Dorgu was the last defender separating him and the keeper, with the youngster taking down the Brighton forward with what was a seemingly light challenge. Fortunately for Dorgu, the referee saw it that way, showing Dorgu a yellow card rather than sending him off for potentially preventing a goal-scoring opportunity. Of course, Lammens was already on the ball after Minteh took a heavy touch. Brighton made the most of their consequential free kick, with Welbeck curling a sensational shot into the net. Lammens had no chance of saving that, with the scoreline changing to 3-1. Straight after kick-off, a rejuvenated Brighton were on the attack again, with Watson taking a close-range shot at the bottom left corner that Lammens did brilliantly to catch. With a little less than ten minutes to play, Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte came on for Cunha and Sesko. Seven minutes of stoppage time were announced, meaning United would need to keep their concentration a little longer to secure the win. Shockingly, Brighton pulled another goal back, when Charalampos Kostoulas flicked the ball into the goal from the near post in what was a cheeky header from a corner. Just when it seemed that the visitors could pull off a late shock, United decided against playing it safe. Instead, they burst forward on the attack, with Mbeumo launching another superb strike for United’s fourth goal. The referee blew the full-time whistle on what was an impressive showing by United. Despite a late scare, United continued their fine attacking display to seal a well-deserved victory. Handing Amorim a three-match winning streak – his longest to date – United finally seem to be gelling well under their newest manager. Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images Starting XI: Lammens, Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw, Diallo, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dalot, Mbeumo, Cunha, Sesko Subs: Heaven, Dorgu, Mainoo, Ugarte, Zirkzee The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Mathew Cohen A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.