Manchester United knocked out of Carabao Cup by Brighton

Manchester United crashed out of the Carabao Cup after surrendering a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

United made a blistering start to the third-round encounter, scoring twice inside the opening 10 minutes and appearing on course for a comfortable passage into the next round.

Teenager Shea Lacey opened the scoring in the eighth minute, marking his first senior start for United with a goal. Mason Mount then doubled the advantage just two minutes later as the hosts took firm control of the contest.

However, Brighton gradually found their way back into the game and pulled one goal back just before half-time.

Charalampos Kostoulas struck in first-half stoppage time to give the visitors renewed hope heading into the break.

The goal proved to be a turning point as Brighton returned for the second half with greater attacking intent, while United struggled to maintain the control they had shown during the opening stages.

Pascal Gross completed Brighton’s comeback in the 65th minute, bringing the scores level and putting United under increasing pressure.

Four minutes later, Maxim De Cuyper completed the turnaround, scoring in the 69th minute to give Brighton a 3-2 lead.

United pushed forward in search of an equaliser during the closing stages, but Brighton held firm to secure a memorable victory at Old Trafford and book their place in the next round of the competition.

The defeat was particularly damaging for United given the manner in which they had started the match. Having established a two-goal advantage within 10 minutes, they ultimately conceded three unanswered goals to surrender the tie.

The result also continues a difficult period for Michael Carrick’s side. United went into the Carabao Cup fixture after suffering defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League, making the early cup exit another setback.

The loss means United’s Carabao Cup campaign ends at the third-round stage, while Brighton advance to the fourth round.

For Brighton, the victory will rank as an impressive comeback, particularly after falling 2-0 behind so early in the match. The visitors showed resilience to recover before half-time and then completed the turnaround with two second-half goals.

For United, attention now turns back to the Premier League, where they will need to quickly regroup after another disappointing result.

The Carabao Cup exit also means United have missed an opportunity to mount an early challenge for domestic silverware this season, leaving the club to focus on its league campaign and other competitions.

The Old Trafford crowd was left frustrated at the final whistle as Brighton celebrated a comeback that looked unlikely when United raced into their early two-goal lead.

Instead, Lacey and Mount’s promising opening was overshadowed by goals from Kostoulas, Gross and De Cuyper, which sent Brighton through and brought United’s Carabao Cup journey to an abrupt end.

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