Manchester United’s 2023/24 league campaign will draw to a close on Sunday afternoon when they make the trip down to the Amex Stadium to play Brighton. The Red Devils still have the chance to qualify for European football next season but will be relying on results elsewhere. Brighton will be looking to avoid defeat and slipping down into the bottom half of the table.
Speculation continues to swirl about the future of manager Erik Ten Hag as United could potentially finish in their lowest league position since the Premier League began. They could also achieve their lowest points tally across the season. We have won 17, drawn six, and lost a record 14 league games in their 37 games of the campaign. With only 57 points on the board, they are eleven points behind fourth-place Aston Villa and a massive 31 points behind league leaders Manchester City.
After suffering back-to-back defeats against Crystal Palace and Arsenal, the Red Devils bounced back on Wednesday evening with a 3-2 win against Newcastle in our final home game of the season. Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo, and Rasmus Hojlund were all on target as they gave a boost to United’s European hopes.
We currently sit eighth in the table on the same points as Newcastle in seventh. United need to better the Magpies’s result away at Brentford to have any chance of reaching next season’s Europa Conference League. If it proves not to be the case, we will have to beat our rivals Manchester City next weekend in the FA Cup final to secure European football for the 2024/25 campaign.
It is not going to be easy for the Red Devils as we have not won any of our last five games away from home. We have lost the last four of our six games when visiting Brighton.
Manchester United Team News
For United, they will still be without the services of Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire (both muscle), Tyrell Malacia (knee), and Mason Mount (unspecified) who are all set to miss the trip on Sunday. Anthony Martial has returned to training following his spell on the sidelines but whether he will play another game for the club remains to be seen with his contract running out at the end of the season.
Raphael Varane, who announced that he will be leaving the club this summer, has been dealing with a hamstring injury like Victor Lindelof has. The defensive duo are back and could be in line to make the match-day squad. Rasmus Højlund who was starting on the bench on Wednesday evening could potentially be back in the first eleven. This would see Bruno Fernandes moving back to his favoured number 10 role after being in the false nine position against Newcastle. Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Rashford will be hoping to feature after coming on as substitute the other evening.
Manchester United Possible Lineup
Onana;
Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Evans, Dalot;
Amrabat, Mainoo;
Diallo, Fernandes, Garnacho;
Hojlund.
Opposition Preview
Brighton have endured a more difficult league campaign after the memorable sixth place last season after several key players had departed during the summer. They have been looking to aim higher under head coach Roberto De Zerbi, however, a raft of injuries and a decline in form have seen their progress stutter. The Seagulls have only won three of their last fifteen games across all competitions including two wins in their last 12 league games.
They had beaten Aston Villa 1-0 at home before achieving a point away at Newcastle last weekend. However, they came up short in midweek fixture against Chelsea. Goals from Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku secured a 2-1 win for the visitors. Brighton cannot finish any higher than their current position of 10th in the table. If they do not secure any more points from their last game, they could slip into the bottom half of the table and could see the likes of Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers overtake them.
The Seagulls have lost their final game of the season in four of the last six campaigns. However, they have had success against United in recent times having won their last four top-flight meetings.
Brighton Team News
For our opponents, Lewis Dunk was forced off at halftime during their home game against Chelsea with a knee injury. He joins Solly March (knee), Kaoru Mitoma (back), Jack Hinshelwood (foot), Pervis Estupinan, Evan Ferguson (both ankle), James Milner, and Jan Paul van Hecke (both thigh) in the treatment room.
Joel Veltman missed the midweek game due to an unspecified injury and therefore remains a doubt for Sunday’s game. Tariq Lamptey is set to continue in the position of right back. With Dunk’s absence, this is likely to see Igor Julio being paired with Adam Webster in the centre of the defence. Valentin Barco will fill in at the left-back position.
Joao Pedro is set to feature in the attack whilst former United player Danny Welbeck will be pushing to start. Ansu Fati and Adam Lallana who are both leaving the club in the summer will both be looking to get some minutes in their final game.
Form Guide
Manchester United Premier League form: WDLLW
Manchester United (all competitions): WDLLW
Brighton Premier League form: LLWDL
Prediction
Both teams have struggled in terms of consistency this season as we head into the final game of the league campaign. This game could see end-to-end action with both sets of defensive showing their vulnerability with plenty of goals potentially being scored. There is a lot more riding on this fixture for United as they hope to secure European football for next season. Previous meetings suggest it will be tough for the Red Devils but they do have the habit of pulling something out of the hat.
Brighton 1-3 Manchester United
