- Gulls insure PL status
- GDS defies Rojo clearing attempt
- Gross scores 7th of season
Pascal Gross’ 57th minute goal was enough to lead Chris Hughton’s Brighton and Hove Albion past lackluster Manchester United 1-0 at the Amex Stadium on Friday.
The win boosts the Gulls to 40 points, good for 11th place in the Premier League. United stays second with 77 points,
[ MORE: Watch full PL match replays ]
Marouane Fellaini looked to have a near trademark goal in the third minute, but he was offside and the linesman didn’t miss the call.
United should’ve went ahead in the 26th minute, but Marcus Rashford waited ages to find an unmarked-at-the-spot Anthony Martial before popping a meek shot wide. Martial was right to feel aggrieved.
Brighton wasn’t without its chances, and David De Gea made a terrific stop on Glenn Murray during the first 45.
All-in-all, Brighton out shot United 8-4 in the half. The Red Devils failed to muster a shot on target.
[ MORE: Latest Premier League standings ]
1 - Man Utd have managed just one touch in Brighton's penalty area so far, their joint-fewest number of touches in the opposition box in the first half of a Premier League match this season alongside Man City in April and Chelsea in November. Lacklustre. #BRIMUN pic.twitter.com/BMCFmrpYcw
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 4, 2018
[ MORE: Full lineups, stats, box score ]
It was Brighton who’d go ahead via Goal Decision System, as Marcos Rojo appeared to make a goal line clearance on Gross’ header only to be defied by the slimmest of margins.
Gross gave a chance to United when he pulled back Juan Mata on the edge of the 18, but the Spaniard overcooked his effort.
United’s efforts continued to miss the frame or bounce to a well-positioned Mat Ryan as the match reached its final 15 minutes.