Manchester United closed out their Premier League campaign with a clean, clinical 3-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the American Express Stadium. Bruno Fernandes scored and assisted, Amad Diallo supplied a key first-half pass, and Patrick Dorgu had a standout afternoon before a VAR call denied him a second goal. The match was tight on possession but decided by United’s sharper finishing and bigger chances.
Fernandes leads a ruthless front line
United struck first from a set pattern that worked all game. Bruno Fernandes’ deep cross found Patrick Dorgu, who headed home for 0-1 on 33 minutes. Just before the break, Amad Diallo threaded a clever pass for Bryan Mbeumo to finish left-footed for 0-2 on 44 minutes.
Brighton’s response after half-time was brief. Two minutes into the second half, Dorgu slipped Fernandes in to make it 0-3 on 48 minutes. A VAR decision at 50 minutes then ruled out another Dorgu effort, stopping the scoreline from running away further.
Key numbers from the Premier League meeting
Brighton saw a touch more of the ball at 51 percent, but Manchester United created the better looks with 4 big chances to 0 and a 1.82 xG to 0.81. United also put 7 shots on target compared to Brighton’s 2, a gap that told the story.
Harry Maguire hit the woodwork to underline United’s threat, while Senne Lammens added two saves and a pair of high claims. For Brighton, Bart Verbruggen made five stops but finished with negative goals prevented, reflecting how clean United’s finishing was.
Lineups, subs and what changed
Both sides started in a 4-2-3-1. Michael Carrick’s United were tidy in the duels, winning 51 percent overall and a strong 58 percent of ground duels. Brighton’s best lane was in the air with 13 of 17 aerial duels won, yet the final ball never quite landed.
Fabian Hürzeler rolled early second-half changes, introducing Yankuba Minteh at the break and a triple switch on 59 minutes. United rotated smartly, with Shea Lacey on for Dorgu at 62 minutes and late minutes for Leny Yoro, Tyler Fletcher and Tyrell Malacia to see it out.
Standouts on Sofascore
Bruno Fernandes was the top performer with a Sofascore Rating of 8.5, produced by 1 goal, 1 assist and 4 key passes. Patrick Dorgu followed with an 8.1 Sofascore Rating after his opener, an assist and three shots on target. Amad Diallo’s all-round display earned a 7.5 Sofascore Rating and a team-high 0.75 expected assists.
For Brighton, Carlos Baleba brought energy off the bench for a 7.3 Sofascore Rating, while Jan Paul van Hecke and Lewis Dunk both distributed well from the back. Full match data, player heat maps and live updates are available on Sofascore.
A solid finish for United
Three goals from three well-worked moves, four big chances created and a clean defensive line gave United a composed away win in Falmer. Brighton passed neatly and delivered a stack of crosses but could not turn territory into clear chances. On this day, United’s quality in the final third decided it.
