Brighton gained sweet revenge on Thursday for their defeat by Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals, with Alexis Mac Allister converting a 99th-minute penalty to dent the visitors’ Champions League hopes.
Classy Brighton dominated possession but lacked a cutting edge until Luke Shaw’s handball deep into stoppage time presented them with an opportunity to take all three points.
The 1-0 win completes a league double for the Seagulls against United, who beat Erik ten Hag’s men in their first match of the season but suffered a painful defeat on penalties in last month’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
United remain in the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot in the Premier League, four points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool with a game in hand, while Brighton are up to sixth.
“There is a God of football,” Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi told Sky Sports.
“We deserved to win the semi-final but lost on penalties but today we won with a penalty. In both games I think we played better than United.”
Ten Hag bemoaned his team’s lack of finishing, but said United’s destiny was still in their own hands.
“We have to finish the chances, be more clinical and don’t make the mistakes we did like in the last seconds,” said the disappointed Dutchman.
“We have everything in our hands and we have to bounce back. We take the lessons from tonight and we have to move on.—AFP
