What Erik ten Hag did on the touchline immediately after Brighton’s winner speaks volumes, all Reds will have done the same

Manchester United have sustained their first defeat of the 2024/2025 campaign at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion.

A cagey affair culminated with Joao Pedro, who was somehow left entirely unmarked at the back post, heading home in the fifth minute of injury time to claim all three points in Fabian Hurzeler’s first Amex outing as manager.

In the first half, Danny Welbeck came back to haunt his former club yet again when he opened the scoring in the 32nd minute to mark his 100th career goal.

It then took United until 15 minutes after the interval to draw level, with Amad Diallo opening his account for the season through an impressive strike, which was helped on its way in with a deflection off of Jan Paul van Hecke.

Just five minutes later, super-sub Alejandro Garnacho thought he’d provided off the bench yet again – as he did against Manchester City in the Community Shield – when he found the back of the net after being teed up by Bruno Fernandes. However, it was subsequently chalked off by VAR after a closer look determined it had hit off of Joshua Zirkzee before going over the line.

A disheartening end to the Reds’ first away day

Given that such a frustrating affair then proceeded to end with a dagger at the death, Erik ten Hag was left ‘standing on the touchline shaking his head’ while Pedro reeled off to celebrate, per BBC Sport’s live commentary.

It’s a feeling he – and the United faithful – have grown all too familiar with after last season’s turbulent results, and supporters will be hoping what happened this afternoon is not a sign of what’s to come.