Seagulls secure a safe landing

when the club’s top scorer controlled a loose ball, turned and cracked in a 30-yarder that De Gea quite brilliantly tipped wide.

Then Jose Izquierdo cut in from the left and let fly and this time the United keeper twisted to turn the ball over.

United, after their early flurry, had barely functioned, with passes going astray and moves breaking down, with Paul Pogba having one of those games when the flicks do not come off, leaving Mourinho pacing around in frustration.

Then Gross skipped through as United’s sluggish back line was pierced again and this time De Gea had to dash out and save with his feet.

Brighton were making all the running but the worry at half-time was that one of those chances had to be taken. Pogba saw his shot comfortably saved by Mathew Ryan in a rare breakout by Mourinho’s team, who had obviously heard some stern words from their manager at the break.

But then Knockaert surged down the middle again to see his shot deflected just over and the breakthrough that Brighton deserved finally came. Davy Propper sent Izquierdo away down the left, the little Colombian got to the byline to cross, and Gross thumped in his header.

Marcos Rojo tried to hack the ball off the line, but his efforts were in vain. The Amex Stadium erupted.

United were rocking and Brighton looked like they should have had a penalty when Anthony Martial brought down Knockaert in the area. Izquierdo was then an inch away from a second goal.

The only way a wretched United looked likely to claw their way back into the game was through a Brighton error, but even when handed a freekick on the edge of the area, Juan Mata put the ball over the bar.

United pressed, but Ryan pushed away Rashford’s drive and then Jesse Lingard missed a great chance under pressure.

BRIGHTON NEXT UP: Referee: (4-4-2): Booked: NEXT UP: MAN UTD (4-3-3): Goal: