Man Utd surrender two-goal lead to crash out of Carabao Cup at home to Brighton
The Red Devils had scored two goals in just 10 minutes, but squandered the advantage to be eliminated from a domestic cup in their first match for the third time in a row.
Manchester United surrendered a two-goal advantage in a shambolic 3-2 Carabao Cup collapse to Brighton as loud boos rang around Old Trafford and pressure on boss Michael Carrick went up a notch.
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The Red Devils returned to Old Trafford three days on from a defeat to 10-man rivals Manchester City that was as painful as it was controversial, but this time they only had themselves to blame.
United had made a dream start to Wednesday’s tie as academy product Shea Lacey kissed the badge having marked his first start with a goal a day after it emerged that 15-year-old talent JJ Gabriel had requested to leave.
Mason Mount added a second in the 10th minute but Brighton were invited on and deservedly pulled one back through Charalampos Kostoulas just before half-time.
Carrick’s men had no answer to the Seagulls’ second-half surge, with Pascal Gross coolly levelling before substitute Maxim De Cuyper struck to spark the boos.
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Fan fury was even louder at the final whistle as United found a new way to make an embarrassing Carabao Cup exit after last year’s Grimsby humiliation.
This was the first time since 1976 that the Red Devils had lost at Old Trafford having gone two goals up and leaves Carrick facing difficult questions, especially having wasted such a wonderful start.
Lacey was among eight changes and made his first United start against the side he was sent off against in the final match before Carrick took charge.
Eight months on from that FA Cup exit and the 19-year-old looked set to make headlines for the right reasons, having shown class and confidence to cut onto his left and slam United into an eighth-minute lead.
Lacey became the first teenager to mark their first United start with a goal since Marcus Rashford, whose hard work and eventual strike led to a Jason Steele save that Mount followed up with a finish into the ground and back of the net.
The relief was palpable and temporarily took the sting out of proceedings, only for Brighton to grow in confidence as United became increasingly ragged.
Olivier Boscagli whizzed narrowly over and Malick Yalcouye should have pulled one back having raced behind, with Matt O’Riley and Gross threatening before an inevitable Albion goal arrived in stoppage time.
United appeals for a foul fell on deaf ears and Jaouen Hadjam’s raking ball to Kostoulas was followed by him beating debutant Karl Darlow.
The hosts continued in sloppy fashion, although Youri Tielemans bent off target after Steele raced off his line to stop Benjamin Sesko punishing an error.
But Brighton showed the confidence of a side that had won four of their previous five visits to Old Trafford, with skipper Gross epitomising that when collecting a headed ball forward to coolly beat his man and Darlow.
Carrick made a triple change he had lined up before the 65th-minute equaliser, but the Seagulls had made alterations of their own and freshly introduced De Cuyper made an immediate impact.
Free-flowing football ended with Kostoulas seeing a cross-shot deflect into the path of the substitute to turn home as boos echoed around Old Trafford.
Defiant chants of “United, United” soon followed, as did the introduction of star turn Bruno Fernandes.
Expectant fans were on their feet when the Portuguese prodded through to Rashford, only for Steele to make a fine reaction stop.
But Brighton had further chances through Kostoulas and Diego Gomez, with pleas to “attack, attack, attack” falling on deaf ears. United fans made their anger audible at the final whistle.