Can Ruben Amorim back up an impressive win at Liverpool with another victory this weekend? We look ahead to Saturday’s Premier League clash with our Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion prediction and preview.
Manchester United vs Brighton: The Key Stats
- Manchester United narrowly edged Brighton in the pre-match simulations by the Opta supercomputer, winning 37.7% of the simulations.
- Man Utd have won consecutive Premier League games under Ruben Amorim for the first time.
- Bruno Fernandes has had just three goal involvements in the Premier League this season (2 goals, 1 assist), but these contributions have been crucial, worth six points to his side.
Manchester United secured their most notable victory under Ruben Amorim last time out, and he will aim to build on that success when they host Brighton & Hove Albion this Saturday.
United were 2-1 winners away to Liverpool last Sunday, with Harry Maguire netting the late winner in the 84th minute after Cody Gakpo had canceled out Bryan Mbeumo’s early strike at Anfield.
Adding in a 2-0 victory over Sunderland in their last outing at Old Trafford, the impressive win at Liverpool meant United had won consecutive Premier League games under Amorim for the first time. Interestingly, their last three-game winning streak occurred between May and August 2024; the last such run within the same season took place in February of that year (4 wins).
In an effort to improve on their current ninth position in the table, there’s no better place for United to do so than their own turf, where they have won their last three Premier League home games—matching their previous total in the prior 13 at Old Trafford (D2 L8).
Historically, United’s more recent performances at home have been shaky, with their last significant winning streak on home soil occurring between April and August 2023, where they won 8 games. Ironically, that run was interrupted by a 3-1 defeat to Brighton.
If Amorim aims to turn the tide further in United’s favor, he will predominantly rely on the leadership of captain Bruno Fernandes, along with contributions from Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, all of whom delivered impressive performances at Anfield.
Fernandes set up Maguire’s dramatic winner with a stunning first-time volley cross, marking just his third goal involvement this season (2 goals, 1 assist). Notably, these contributions have been pivotal for United, earning them six valuable points—ranking him behind only Antoine Semenyo (9) and Jack Grealish (7) concerning the importance of contributions this term.
Cunha, favored over Benjamin Sesko against Liverpool, has led the league in shots following a ball carry (12), though he is still chasing his first goal in United colors.
On the flip side, United must remain wary of Danny Welbeck, who has found his scoring touch, netting four goals in his last three Premier League games, surpassing his previous 15-game tally of three goals.
Welbeck notably scored two goals against Chelsea and Newcastle United in this run, marking the third season in which he has scored multiple goals in more than one game since 2013-14 (2) and 2017-18 (2). His latest brace occurred against Newcastle last Saturday, securing a 2-1 victory for Brighton and positioning them just one point and one place behind United in the table.
If Brighton intends to capitalize on Welbeck’s resurgence and leapfrog above United, coach Fabian Hürzeler must address a beleaguered defense. Brighton has managed just one clean sheet in their previous 20 Premier League outings, a 2-0 win against Wolves in May. Nevertheless, their defensive woes have not substantially hindered their overall performance, as they’ve lost only two of their last 13 league games (W7 D4).
Despite some success, Hürzeler is fully aware that there’s still ample room for improvement. Brighton has won only three of their eight Premier League encounters this season, drawing two, and has spent a lower percentage of game time in winning positions (24.1%) than in losing (38.1%) or drawing (37.8%) situations.
Brighton may welcome back Kaoru Mitoma and Joël Veltman for Saturday’s match should they successfully pass late fitness tests, alongside Brajan Gruda and Diego Gómez, although Jack Hinshelwood, Adam Webster, and Solly March remain ruled out due to long-term injuries. United’s only confirmed absentee is Lisandro Martínez.
Manchester United vs Brighton Head-to-Head
In recent history, United have struggled against Brighton, losing six of their last seven Premier League encounters (W1). This is double the number of losses they had incurred in their first 17 meetings, where they had achieved a solid record of W12 D2 L3.
Brighton has made Old Trafford a treacherous venue for the Red Devils, registering victories in their last three league visits to the stadium. Notably, Fernandes’ penalty against Yankuba Minteh in the January fixture only temporarily leveled things before the Seagulls triumphed 3-1, with late goals from Mitoma and Georginio Rutter.
Brighton’s success could see them inch closer to a remarkable record, as they aim for more consecutive league wins at Old Trafford—a feat only previously achieved by Manchester City between 1968 and 1972 (5 consecutive wins).
Manchester United vs Brighton Prediction
The Opta supercomputer projects a closely contested match, with Manchester United coming out on top in around 37.7% of 10,000 pre-match simulations. However, Brighton still possesses an encouraging 35.9% chance of securing a fourth consecutive win at Old Trafford, while the likelihood of a draw stands at 26.4%.
Manchester United vs Brighton Predicted Lineups
Manchester United: Senne Lammens, Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Manuel Ugarte, Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo, Diogo Dalot, Bryan Mbeumo, Mason Mount, Matheus Cunha.
Head coach: Ruben Amorim
Brighton & Hove Albion: Bart Verbruggen, Mats Wieffer, Jan Paul van Hecke, Lewis Dunk, Ferdi Kadioglu, Carlos Baleba, Yasin Ayari, Yankuba Minteh, Georginio Rutter, Maxim De Cuyper, Danny Welbeck.
Head coach: Fabian Hürzeler
Opta Power Rankings
The Opta Power Rankings provide a global team ranking system, evaluating over 10,000 domestic football teams on a scale from zero to 100, where zero represents the worst team globally and 100 represents the best team.
Ahead of kick-off this weekend at Old Trafford, here are the Opta Power Rankings for both sides:
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