JOAO PEDRO HEADED a dramatic late winner as Fabian Hurzeler celebrated his first Premier League home game as Brighton boss with a thrilling 2-1 success over Manchester United.
Brazilian striker Pedro nodded home Simon Adingra’s cross five minutes in added time to compound United’s misery at a delirious Amex Stadium.
The visitors looked set to come from behind to win on the south coast after Amad Diallo cancelled out a first-half opener from former United forward Danny Welbeck.
But Joshua Zirkzee went from hero to zero by preventing team-mate Alejandro Garnacho from turning the game around.
The summer signing from Bologna, who last weekend scored on debut to earn a 1-0 success against Fulham, touched home his team-mate’s goal-bound finish on the line while in an offside position.
VAR duly intervened to disallow the 70th-minute effort and frustrate Erik ten Hag before Pedro rubbed salt into United’s wounds as 31-year-old German Hurzeler maintained his 100 per cent start since replacing Roberto De Zerbi.
United ended their worst Premier League season with a 2-0 victory at this ground in May, which halted a run of four successive league defeats against the Seagulls.
Jadon Sancho was again conspicuous by his absence as manager Ten Hag stuck with an unchanged team, while Brighton boss Hurzeler named £40million record signing Georginio Rutter on his bench.
United winger Diallo wasted a golden chance by volleying wide when unmarked during an uneventful opening half an hour before Welbeck’s 32nd-minute breakthrough ignited the contest.
Pedro’s right-wing cross caused hesitancy in the away defence and Kaoru Mitoma swiftly sent the ball back across goal for the stretching Welbeck to turn home his sixth goal in 16 appearances against his boyhood club.
United had been relatively untroubled up to that point and appeared to have grabbed a quick-fire equaliser.
Marcus Rashford diverted home in unorthodox fashion with his heel after his initial header from Diallo’s centre was superbly kept out by Jason Steele, only for the celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag.
Ten Hag responded to a underwhelming first-half display by bringing on Netherlands forward Zirkzee in place of Mason Mount and pushing Bruno Fernandes out of the false nine role.
Despite the tactical switch, United were twice fortunate not to fall further behind.
Diogo Dalot was alert to hack clear close to the goal line after James Milner poked beyond Andre Onana before Welbeck headed against the crossbar following a free-kick.
The 20-time English champions capitalised on the let-offs to level with an hour played.
Diallo was set free down the right and, after cutting inside Jack Hinshelwood, he atoned for his first-half profligacy with a low finish which went in off sliding Seagulls centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke.
Zirkzee – the Old Trafford hero of eight days ago – then bizarrely cost his side a second goal after fellow substitute Garnacho looked to have capitalised on slick interplay involving Diallo and Fernandes by tapping into an unguarded net.
And there was worse to come for the stunned visitors side as Pedro was left unmarked to connect with Adingra’s centre at the death and give Brighton a second successive win under Hurzeler following last weekend’s 3-0 triumph at Everton.
Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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