Match Review – Brighton 1-0 Manchester United
Mission accomplished and what a way to do it. If you’re going to stay in the Premier League, then there is no better way of achieving it than by beating Manchester United in the last home game of the season to ensure survival.
For most of us growing up as kids, there was always at least one United fan in our class at school. You know the kid. The type who mocked you for not supporting the champions of England. Who constantly asked “Which Premier League team do you support?” as if you were completely mad for going along to the Goldstone Ground or Withdean every other week. Who couldn’t find Manchester on a map even if it was circled in red pen with “Ryan Giggs shags his sister-in-law” scrawled next to it. Who took great joy in pointing out every day how crap Brighton were (he did have a point with that one, granted).
Well, that kid isn’t laughing anymore is he? Little, crap old Brighton and Hove Albion who nobody in their right mind should support 1-0 The Mighty Manchester United. And the best thing about the Albion’s victory over United was that it was completely and utterly deserved.
United managed just one touch in the Brighton box in the first half although they did have a goal correctly ruled out for offside after Maroune Fellaini flicked on a Marcus Rashford free kick inside of the first 60 seconds. After that though it was David De Gea who was the busiest of the two goalkeepers, denying Pascal Gross twice and pulling off quite possibly the best save the Amex has ever seen from a Glenn Murray volley.
Against virtually any other goalkeeper in the world, Murray is scoring a genuine Goal of the Season contender with a powerful volley from a full 25 yards that is arrowing towards the top corner until De Gea somehow flies across his goal to somehow keep it out. He also tipped a dipping Jose Izquierdo effort over the bar as the Albion could’ve gone into the break at least two goals to the good.
There was nothing De Gea could do about the only goal of the game which came just before the hour mark. Pascal Gross was the scorer, his header going over the line despite the best attempts of Marcos Rojo to keep it out with goal line technology confirming that it was a goal. Anyone who doesn’t want technology in football is an idiot.
That made it seven goals and eight assists for Gross so far this season, at which point it seems like a good time to offer a friendly reminder that he cost £3m. That’s THREE MILLION POUNDS. United’s midfield last night was made up of £89m Paul Pogba, £27.5m Fellani and Nemanja Matic for £40m – none of whom looked a patch on Gross, Anthony Knockaert or Izquierdo, the Albion’s three outstanding players on the night.
We offered very little going forward after the goal understandably but neither did United, Maty Ryan having one of his quietest games of the season with only efforts from outside the box from Rashford and Jesse Lingard forcing him into saves.
Still, it was a tense end to the game but the roar that greeted the final whistle was comparative to anything we saw when winning promotion last season. Getting into the Premier League was an achievement in itself but staying there, well something about this just made it feel even better.
Against teams full of world class players and with resources that boggle the mind, the Albion have competed all season and only been outclassed in two games – Liverpool and Chelsea at home. What has been brilliant to watch is the way the players have grown into top flight competitors. Back in August when we lost to Manchester City and Leicester City, there was an element of rabbits in headlights about them, as if they weren’t really sure that they belonged in the Premier League.
Nobody can doubt that now. Seven points in the last eight weeks from games against Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and now United proves that we belong in the top flight and we’ll have another crack at it next season, which is the least that Chris Hughton and everyone involved with the Albion deserves.
Who’s laughing now little United fan?
