Gross profit for Brighton as they confirm their survival by beating United

Brighton secured Premier League football for another season after pulling off a surprise victory over Manchester United last night.

Pascal Gross scored early in the second half as Brighton ended a seven-match winless run in style.

United arrived on the south coast knowing a win would all-but seal second place in the league, but a poor effort means they will have to wait to secure the runner-up spot.

Visiting coach Jose Mourinho made six changes to the United side that defeated Arsenal last weekend as Matteo Darmian, Marcos Rojo, Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial came in for Victor Lindelof, Antonio Valencia, Ander Herrera, Jesse Lingard, the injured Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Sanchez, who reportedly did not travel. Fellaini had the ball in the net after only three minutes but he was offside when he turned home Rashford’s free-kick. That was about as good as it got in a horribly disjointed display by United. Brighton broke the deadlock 12 minutes after the interval. Jose Izqueirdo skipped past Darmian and stood a cross up toward the far post. United goalkeeper David De Gea pushed the ball on to the head of Gross, pictured, and, although Rojo hooked it clear from underneath the crossbar, goalline technology confirmed it crossed the line.

United belatedly rallied but Maty Ryan saved from Rashford and Lingard fired wide as Brighton held out.