Brighton 0, Manchester United 2
Manchester United completed a miserable Premier League campaign with a hollow 2-0 win away at Brighton with their European hopes fading.
Embed from Getty ImagesUnited, who finished 8th – their worst placing in the Premier League era and since the 1989-90 season – and will not play in Europe via the league next season after their failed to better Newcastle United’s result.
It means that the Reds will have to rely on winning the FA Cup against newly crowed Premier League Champions Manchester City next weekend – a very tall order – if they are to qualify for Europe.
The Seagulls were waving goodbye to their manager Roberto de Zerbi who announced his departure from Brighton days before the match but despite edging the the game in terms of possession and arguably chances it was the Reds who took away the three points, leaving Brighton in 11th place for the season while the Reds somehow managed to salvage an 8th place finish from a horrendous season.
Diogo Dalot opened the scoring after 73 minutes, beating the Brighton keeper Jason Steele.
Rasmus Hojlund made sure of victory two minutes from time after he converted a chance from Christian Eriksen.
But by that time the win was in vain as the Magpies had an unassailable 3-0 lead at half time in their game at Brentford – going on to win it 4-2.
The Reds end the season on 60 points – 31 points behind Champions City having endured a horrendous injury-hit season.
In truth, United will admit they have had a poor season – a worst-ever Premier League finish, with a -1 goal difference having conceded a club record 58 goal this term and losing nine matches at Old Trafford this term.
The Reds will hope that they will be able to get more players fit enough to play at Wembley where they will hope to stop the Blues from recording another unprecedented record – a double FA Cup and Premier League double.