Brighton 0-2 Man Utd: Player ratings as Red Devils finish eighth despite win

Manchester United slipped to their worst-ever finish in the Premier League despite two second-half goals securing victory away at Brighton & Hove Albion on the final day of the season.

The Seagulls, who said goodbye to manager Roberto De Zerbi, were the brighter team but couldn't punish the visitors and ended up missing out on a top-ten finish.

Erik ten Hag substituted Bruno Fernandes with half an hour still to play and, despite goals against the run of play from Diogo Dalot and Rasmus Hojlund, United now need to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup to secure European football next season.

How the game unfolded

There was emotion in the air at the AMEX Stadium following the announcement that home manager De Zerbi will leave his role as Brighton manager after United's visit to the south coast. The Red Devils, meanwhile, were seeking to avoid a worst-ever Premier League finish both position and points-wise.

It was the Seagulls who threatened to go ahead first. Valentin Barco charged into the box and gave Aaron Wan-Bissaka the slip before calling Andre Onana into action with a low drive. The former Inter stopper was equal to it, however.

With Hojlund left on the bench again, Scott McTominay and Fernandes were plugged into central roles with Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho supporting out wide. Garnacho got in behind before Jakub Moder cleared the danger, but they largely lacked fluency.

Wan-Bissaka made a good block to deny Joao Pedro before Adam Webster glanced wide at the back post, with United then going close on the counter attack. Fernandes eased over the halfway line in space and played in McTominay, but the Scot's lashed drive sailed into the crowd without troubling Jason Steele.

With the game at the AMEX approaching the end of the first half, Newcastle United had surged into a 3-0 lead away at Brentford to go clear of Erik ten Hag's side in the live table.

It was largely one-way traffic in the opening 45 minutes, but again it was Garnacho who tried to singlehandedly drag United up the pitch, gliding past Moder and firing at the near post, but Steele parried it behind for a corner.

United prompted some pinball action in Brighton's six-yard box from a corner before Webster cleared and the hosts then slowed and quickened the tempo to near-deadly effect. Nice play from Pascal Gross and Moder saw the ball drop to Pedro from point-blank range, but his shot was cleared off the line by the under-fire Casemiro.

Ten Hag's side looked uninspired as they limped through the second half but made Brighton pay for their slack finishing by taking the lead.

Casemiro's long punt was collected by left-back Dalot, who showed the composure of a seasoned striker to slot his effort into the bottom corner.

Brighton responded with a batch of substitutions but it was United who threatened a second goal as Christian Eriksen collected Marcus Rashford's pass, but his cross was dealt with by Steele. However, soon enough it was 2-0 thanks to some individual magic from Hojlund.

The Denmark striker combined with compatriot Eriksen and breezed past Billy Gilmour and Igor Julio before thumping a shot too powerful for Steele to deal with.

The win at least capped the Premier League season in a positive light for Ten Hag but, with Chelsea and Newcastle both winning on the final day, United finished eighth and can now only qualify for the Europa League by beating title winners Man City in the FA Cup final.

Brighton player ratings (4-2-3-1)

GK: Jason Steele - 5/10 - Not overly tested but still ended up picking the ball out the back of his net twice.

RB: Jakub Moder - 6/10 - Offered some brave defensive challenges in an unusual position.

CB: Adam Webster - 6/10 - Made a nuisance of himself in the opposition box. Made some decent recovery challenges but took a blow and was then exposed as Dalot struck.

CB: Igor Julio - 5/10 - Also caught out by the ball over the top, not offering the assurance Lewis Dunk does at the back.

LB: Valentin Barco - 6/10 - Easily beat Wan-Bissaka before wasting an early chance. Fitted in nicely during Brighton's smooth attacking play.

DM: Carlos Baleba - 6/10 - Broke play up constantly with tackles and interceptions, often getting Brighton back on the front foot.

DM: Pascal Gross - 6/10 - Pulled out some cute twists and turns and opened up United a few times.

RM: Simon Adingra - 5/10 - Got into space a few times but just lacked that final product.

AM: Adam Lallana - 6/10 - Looked typically bright and eager to link play during his final Brighton appearance. Subbed before the hour mark to a standing ovation from the home crowd.

LM: Joao Pedro - 6/10 - Lively and dragged United's central defenders all over the place but wasted strong opportunities in front of goal.

ST: Danny Welbeck - 6/10 - Ran out wide to create space and was effective in bringing others into play.

Substitutes

SUB: Julio Enciso (57' for Lallana) - 5/10

SUB: Tariq Lamptey (81' for Barca) - N/A

SUB: Billy Gilmour (81' for Baleba) - N/A

SUB: Ansu Fati (81' for Adingra) - N/A

Subs not used: Bart Verbruggen (GK), Cameron Peupion, Odel Offiah, Benicio Baker-Boaitey, Facundo Buonanotte.

Manager

Roberto De Zerbi - 6/10 - His side dominated the game and enjoyed the best chances but couldn't send their departing manager off with a win.

Man Utd player ratings (4-2-2-2)

GK: Andre Onana - 6/10 - Made some smart saves to keep United afloat, though his handling prompted some scares here and there.

RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 6/10 - Looked dodgy against Barco early on but managed to pull through.

CB: Lisandro Martinez - 7/10 - Made his first start since early February and was busy making important interventions, often as a latch-ditch measure. Came off just before the 60th minute.

CB: Casemiro - 8/10 - One vital clearance off the line preserved the stalemate. Definitely a more solid performance than in recent weeks. His pass over the top led to Dalot's opener.

LB: Diogo Dalot - 8/10 - Showed his attacking quality with a fine finish that earned United all three points and dealt well enough with Adingra.

DM: Sofyan Amrabat - 6/10 - Didn't show the quality necessary to keep Brighton's midfield at bay and picked up a booking.

DM: Kobbie Mainoo - 7/10 - Managed to turn away from trouble on occasion and did what he could without much help from his teammates in central areas.

AM: Amad Diallo - 6/10 - Looked to take on his opposite number but didn't show the end product he did in midweek.

AM: Alejandro Garnacho - 7/10 - Bright and enterprising, often running at Brighton and trying to create something from nothing.

ST: Bruno Fernandes - 6/10 - Opened up Brighton with a smart run on the counter but was hooked early in the second half, likely with the FA Cup final in mind.

ST: Scott McTominay - 6/10 - Didn't get too many opportunities to use his physicality and blazed over a good opportunity in the first half.

Substitutes

SUB: Jonny Evans (59' for Martinez) - 6/10

SUB: Rasmus Hojlund (59' for Fernandes) - 7/10 - Sharp turn towards the end of the game got him in on goal, finishing well for his tenth league strike this season.

SUB: Raphael Varane (69' for Amrabat) - 6/10

SUB: Marcus Rashford (75' for Diallo) - 6/10

SUB: Christian Eriksen (75' for Mainoo) - 7/10 - Combined nicely with Hojlund to grab a late assist.

Subs not used: Altay Bayindir (GK), Willy Kambwala, Toby Collyer, Antony.

Manager

Erik ten Hag - 6/10 - United once again were unconvincing and only a few last-ditch measures prevented them from going behind. Even with the poor league finish, a win is a win and at least sets Ten Hag up for next week's FA Cup final.

Player of the match - Diogo Dalot (Man Utd)

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