United still miles away from title contenders

ONCE the drama had unfolded and a bonkers match was over at the Amex Stadium, there was still a cold reality staring Manchester United in the face. Victory could not hide it and nor could the remarkable events that led to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team snatching the most fortuitous of wins several minutes after the final whistle had sounded. There was little evidence that United had improved on an opening-day defeat to Crystal Palace despite another week’s catch-up training on their rivals. Only the result was different. Palace felt emboldened enough to go to Old Trafford last weekend and take the game to Solskjaer’s side. Brighton striker Neal Maupay was so cocky on Saturday that he beat David de Gea with a Panenka penalty and then made a cry-baby gesture as the angry United keeper kicked the ball at him. Tweaking United’s tail is no longer seen as an act of football suicide, even though Graham Potter did not appreciate Maupay’s insolence. ‘I tend not to look at penalties. (Assistant) Billy Reid told me he’d done that and I said: “Thank God I didn’t see it!”,’ said the Brighton boss. There was a hint of karma to it all when Maupay handled Harry Maguire’s header, leading to Bruno Fernandes scoring the decisive penalty in the 100th minute. ‘Sometimes football defies logic,’ said a relieved Solskjaer (above). ‘How that game ended as it did, I’ve never seen that before.’ Brighton were justified in asking why the game was still going on considering Solly March had just made it 2-2 in the fifth and supposedly final minute of stoppage time. Potter was left to pick up his shattered players from the injustice of it all — and not least because they had just become the first team to hit the woodwork five times in a Premier League game since Opta began collecting such stats 17 years ago. United had Maguire to thank for getting into the box to pressure Lewis Dunk into an own goal. Marcus Rashford then fired United 2-1 ahead. It was Maguire who forced the aberration from Maupay and a remarkable, last-gasp finish.