THE NOTEBOOK: Manchester United break records for all the wrong reasons in 3-1 home defeat… and Brighton show that they can get the job done on a shoestring budget

• The Red Devils were overrun by Roberto De Zerbi’s south coast side in home loss
• Defensive failures were quickly exploited by scorers Welbeck, Gross and Pedro 
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’

Brighton gave Manchester United a drubbing on home turf with their 3-1 victory over Erik ten Hag’s side on Saturday afternoon. 

Despite a second-half attempt from academy product Hannibal Mejiri to claw the match back, the Red Devils looked limp against the south coast side in full swing. 

Danny Welbeck opened the scoring inside the first 20 minutes, before Pascal Gross added to the hosts’ woes on a lacklustre day at Old Trafford. 

Roberto De Zerbi also saw a quick return from new signing Joao Pedro, who scored the team’s third just 13 minutes after he was introduced as a substitute – whilst Man United’s new recruit Rasmus Hojlund had a goal chalked off after the ball snuck briefly out of play. 

Here, Mail Sport’s Nathan Salt runs the rule over some of the things you might have missed from the Old Trafford showdown. 

Man United endured a day to forget as they broke their 31-game unbeaten streak at home

Brighton showcased their unstinting eye for talent in the inclusion of Simon Adingra (left) in the side

The hosts looked lacklustre in defence and Brighton made hay on their trip to Old Trafford

All good things must come to an end

What a way to see a 31-game unbeaten run at home come to an end. Not since Real Sociedad had United suffered defeat at Old Trafford but this was a mauling against a Brighton team that have had their number four times in a row now.

‘Can we play you every week?’ Brighton fans jeered midway through the second half. Successive season wins at Old Trafford suggest they would do just fine if they did.

Value for money

Brighton’s clever bargain hunting 

Brighton’s starting XI includes: Steele £0, Dunk £0, Damoud £0, Lallana £0, Welbeck £0, Veltman £0.9m, Mitoma £2.4m, Groß £3.1m, Lamptey £1.5m 

Total £7.9m for 9 players

A look at Brighton’s starting XI showed nine of their starters totalled a cost of just £7.9m, with five of them costing nothing.

Contrast that to the £346.7m side United put out and it just shows two approaches with two very different results.

Brighton have been pillaged for talent for years now – Moises Caicedo joined Chelsea in a British record £115m move – and yet they just go and find another gem. Simon Adingra looks the latest… just watch him go for a mega fee.

Coming back to haunt them

There is the old adage of a player raising their game when it comes to facing a former club: up steps Danny Welbeck.

His opening goal here made it four Premier League goals against Manchester United – the most of any player to have previously played for the Red Devils.

He won’t be welcomed back in a hurry.

Leaky at the back

This 3-1 defeat for United made it the first time they have conceded more than one in four successive league games for the first time since 1979.

Rewriting the wrong kind of history from a United point of view.

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The Manchester heritage of scorer Danny Welbeck (left) gave the crowd potent ammunition

Jadon having the last laugh?

Banished away from the first team as he refuses to apologise to Erik ten Hag for his statement in light of his training performances being questioned, Jadon Sancho decided his match action for the day was to be at Carrington watching the Under-18s.

There he stood, up against a barrier, with his hood up as United’s kids came from behind to win 3-1.

Down the road his contemporaries had been turned over 3-1 with a real lack of creativity down the right. The stand-off continues…

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify

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