Brighton achieved their third consecutive away victory in the Premier League against Manchester United with goals in the second half from Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter, earning three points on a day dedicated to Denis Law at Old Trafford.
Rutter took advantage of a poor mistake from United goalkeeper Andre Onana to secure the win in the 76th minute after Mitoma had scored from close range in the 60th minute, ensuring a well-deserved victory for hard-working Brighton.
Bruno Fernandes equalized with a penalty in the 23rd minute after an early goal from Yankuba Minteh, but Ruben Amorim's inconsistent United team still haven't managed back-to-back wins in the Premier League this season. Brighton has now won six of their last seven league matches against United, establishing themselves as a troublesome opponent.
After breaking an eight-game winless streak by defeating Ipswich 2-0 on Thursday, this victory places Brighton in ninth position in the table. In contrast, the struggling United team remains in 13th place, with only one win in their last six league games.
Prior to the match, United paid tribute to Law, the 'King of the Stretford End', who passed away on Friday at 84. The last member of the United Trinity, alongside Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best, Law is the club's third top goalscorer with 237 goals in 404 appearances.
The teams were escorted onto the Old Trafford pitch with bagpipes playing Flower of Scotland, followed by a wreath-laying by Sir Alex Ferguson, accompanied by Brian Kidd, Paddy Crerand, and Alex Stepney. This was followed by a poetic tribute and a minute's applause as a mark of respect.
Despite the ceremonial tribute, Brighton quickly took the lead less than five minutes into the match. Carlos Baleba's precise pass found Mitoma who set up Minteh to score effortlessly.
United managed to equalize through a costly error from Brighton's goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, which allowed Fernandes to convert from the penalty spot after a foul on Zirkzee.
Although Brighton thought they had regained the lead early in the second half, the goal was disallowed after a VAR review for a foul in the build-up. Mitoma eventually secured the win with a goal in the 60th minute, stretching Brighton's lead.
United struggled to respond effectively, and a crucial mistake in defense led to Rutter securing Brighton's third goal by capitalizing on a mix-up by United's goalkeeper, Onana.