Man Utd Crumble Against Brighton in Shocking Carabao Cup Exit: Who Flopped and Who Fought?

Manchester United's Carabao Cup hopes were extinguished on Wednesday evening as Brighton & Hove Albion mounted a stunning comeback to claim a 3–2 victory at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils began in dream fashion. Strikes from Shea Lacey and Mason Mount had Michael Carrick's side 2–0 ahead inside the opening 10 minutes, with both players capitalizing on their chances to hand the hosts a comfortable early lead.

However, Brighton gradually asserted themselves as United showed little desire to repel the visitors' growing pressure. Charalampos Kostoulas reduced the deficit for the Seagulls just before the break, before Pascal Groß drew them level in the 65th minute.

A third goal for Fabian Hürzeler's side seemed inevitable, and it duly arrived just four minutes later through Maxim De Cuyper. United suddenly found themselves trailing 3–2, and even the introduction of their key players failed to spark a turnaround.

In a familiar echo of the 2025–26 season, the Red Devils suffered a Carabao Cup exit far sooner than anticipated.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

For the fourth time in six matches this season, Carrick watched helplessly from the dugout as his defense shipped two—and ultimately three—goals. United allowed Hull City to score twice in their league opener, with Ipswich Town repeating the feat just a week later.

Everton then also found the net twice against a struggling backline. Manchester City managed just one—albeit contentious—goal, though it came while United had a numerical advantage. Brighton arrived at Old Trafford having studied the blueprint and executed a near-flawless comeback.

Carrick gambled by fielding a makeshift defensive unit of Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven and Noussair Mazraoui—and paid a heavy price. Dalot and Heaven were largely culpable for two of Brighton's three goals, while Mazraoui offered little support. Yoro was the only defender to emerge with any credit, though that is cold comfort on a night when his side conceded three times.

United sorely felt the absence of Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez and the sidelined Luke Shaw, but the starters have done little to inspire confidence given that the team's sole clean sheet came against Sabah in the Champions League.

It is increasingly apparent that United made a significant error in focusing exclusively on midfield recruitment this summer, while their defense continues to cost them points.

Man Utd Player Ratings vs. Brighton (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Karl Darlow—5.4: Should have dealt better with his near post on Kostoulas's effort and was slow to react to Groß's strike. It must be noted he received minimal protection from his defenders.

RB: Diogo Dalot—6.0: Failed to improve on his derby showing from the previous weekend. Launched a needlessly hurried clearance straight to the visitors, who leveled moments later. Caught completely out of position for Brighton's third.

CB: Leny Yoro—5.8: Performed solidly until the team's late capitulation. Clearly lacked an experienced partner alongside him.

CB: Ayden Heaven—6.1: Continues to make costly errors. Inexplicably made no attempt to close down Kostoulas before the striker fired past Darlow. Equally lax for Brighton's third goal.

LB: Noussair Mazraoui—6.1: Completely switched off for Kostoulas's goal. Watched the play unfold in a daze while barely jogging, leaving Heaven without any cover.

CM: Andrey Santos—7.3: Went about his work quietly and covered enormous ground. Could have done more to steady the ship once things began unraveling.

CM: Youri Tielemans—7.9: Responded well after a difficult weekend, wearing the captain's armband and contributing an assist. His most valuable work, however, came through a series of perfectly-timed tackles.

RW: Shea Lacey—7.8: Made the most of his opportunity and netted his first goal for the senior side. There is undeniable quality in that left foot.

AM: Mason Mount—7.3: Was in desperate need of a goal and delivered. His impact largely faded after that, however.

LW: Marcus Rashford—7.2: Won't be credited with an assist, but his effort forced a save that fell perfectly for Mount. Had a golden opportunity to equalize in the 77th minute but was denied by Steele.

ST: Benjamin Šeško—6.2: Spent much of the first half drifting aimlessly around the halfway line before losing possession in the build-up to Brighton's opener. Was again involved in the lead-up to the visitors' second, failing to hold the ball up effectively.

SUB: Joshua Zirkzee (66' for Šeško)—5.8: Never got up to the pace of the match. Surrendered possession almost every time he received the ball.

SUB: Kobbie Mainoo (66' for Santos)—6.6: Unable to bring any stability to the side.

SUB: Bryan Mbeumo (66' for Lacey)—6.0: Failed to register a single shot during his 34 minutes on the field.

SUB: Bruno Fernandes (73' for Mount)—6.6: Introduced too late to wrestle back control for United.

SUB: Matheus Cunha (80' for Rashford)—6.9: Unable to create any meaningful impact.

Subs not used: Senne Lammens (GK), Harry Maguire, Harry Amass, Tyler Fletcher.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Man Utd's Shock Collapse