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      Crystal Palace 0 West Ham 2: Julen Lopetegui gets first win as Hammers boss as Soucek and Bowen sink London rivals

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      IN a window where Crystal Palace stars appear to be fleeing Selhurst Park – a former hero coming back to hurt them was not needed.Aaron Wan-Bissaka was sent on for his West Ham debut five years after leaving Selhurst Park and quickly played a big role in the opening goal.West Ham picked up all three points away at Crystal PalaceCredit: PAJarrod Bowen wrapped up the win with a brilliant finish on the breakCredit: ReutersAfter Soucek scored, he came to the rescue of a ball boy crushed by an advertising board amid the celebrationsIt would hardly have settled the nerves for Palace fans who have already seen Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen depart and fear Marc Guehi and perhaps Eberechi Eze could follow.Boss Oliver Glasner admitted this week that transfer noise was having an influence on some of his players, though there was little sign of that during a fine first half in which it looked like the hosts would be comfortable winners.But West Ham’s improved depth and a half-time rocket in the rain brought about a better second half and their first win under Julen Lopetegui, as Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen grabbed two goals in five minutes to make it two defeats from two for Palace to start the season.In this fixture last season – which effectively put the final nail in the coffin for David Moyes at West Ham – the Hammers were four down after just 31 minutes.That was not the case this time around, but Palace could and probably should have had two inside the opening 20 minutes.Lopetegui’s side underwhelmed against Aston Villa last weekend but he stuck with the same XI in South London. Despite having a couple of early openings, with Mohammed Kudus firing wide from 12 yards, the Hammers looked wide open.Alphonse Areola made a fine one-on-one stop from Eze after Adam Wharton found the midfielder with a defence-splitting pass.Most read in FootballThe England midfielder took just two weeks off in the summer and has continued the superb form which got him a late run into the Euros squad.Moments after finding Eze, he had the Eagles on the front foot in a flash once more with a first time forward pass from his own half.It resulted in Odsonne Edouard getting through but he fluffed the finish and put it wide of the far post.West Ham have a forward line packed with talent, but were struggling to get the ball to any of them in threatening positions.Pinned back by Palace, they were hanging on going into the break as Eze rattled the crossbar with a bending effort from the edge of the box minutes before the interval.Lopetegui gave his players a talking to in the rain outside the away dressing room before sending them back out.And West Ham improved after the break, though they were still lacking a cutting edge, so Lopetegui turned to new boys Niclas Fullkrug and Wan-Bissaka.The Spaniard would certainly have expected the big German striker to have made more of an impact up top, but it was ex-Palace man Wan-Bissaka who sparked this win.The Eagles academy graduate showed plenty of life flying down the right, which was how the first goal came about.After a fine run down the flank, the £15million debutant found Bowen who crossed for Lucas Paqueta. A couple of loose touches and dodgy clearances later the ball fell kindly for Tomas Soucek to ram home.The Czech international then had to rescue a ball boy, who was stuck under the advertising board amid the celebrations in the away end.It may not have been deserved considering the flash football Palace had played in the first half, but suddenly the Hammers had their tails up and the hosts looked shaky.There were gaps opening up in Glasner’s side and another new man – Max Kilman – strode straight into one.The defender charged forward across halfway before picking out a stellar ball for Bowen to run onto. The England man drove inside before placing a superb reverse finish in the near post.READ MORE SUN STORIESPalace had the chance to quickly halve the deficit as new signing Ismaila Sarr picked out Jean-Philippe Mateta just yards out but he somehow failed to finish.All the fine momentum Palace had built across a brilliant end to last season seems to have been lost in the space of just one week.THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. More

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      Ten Hag’s Brighton misery gets worse as fan dressed as huge SEAGULL spotted clapping behind Man Utd boss after late goal

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      DEJECTED Erik ten Hag’s afternoon went from bad to worse – when a SEAGULL was spotted clapping behind him after the late winner. The Dutchman could not believe his luck as Brighton snatched all three points at the Amex.A seagull was spotted behind Erik ten Hag after the Brighton winnerCredit: X formerly Twitter / @footballontntThe fans revelled in United’s miseryCredit: AFPJoao Pedro headed home in the 95th minute – after Joshua Zirkzee was desperately unfortunate to be caught offside on the goal line to rule out Alejandro Garnacho’s goal.And after being pooped on by the Seagulls, United fans could not help but see the irony of a punter wearing a costume of the coastal bird. The home supporter was picked up by the TNT Sports cameras in the seagull head mask right by the away dugout as Brighton celebrated the Pedro goal.One fan said: “A very powerful image, Manchester United manager looking rather upset on the sidelines as a Brighton supporter wearing a huge seagull mask casually claps on.”READ MORE ON MAN UTDAnother joked: “Imagine wearing a seagull mask and still only being the second silliest person in this picture…”A third added: “The seagull has just made me do a wheeze laugh.”A Red Devils fan admitted: “I’m really upset Man Utd lost BUT that guy with the seagull mask cheered me up.”And a final user joked: “Seagulls getting bigger in Brighton.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSThe Seagulls will be partying on the beach tonight following the victory over United to make it two wins from two under new boss Fabian Hurzeler.Danny Welbeck scored his 100th club career goal to open the scoring before Amad Diallo equalised with a deflected strike.Man Utd Player Ratings vs Brighton Garnacho thought he had turned the game on its head when he tapped in Bruno Fernandes’ pass.However, Zirkzee had already slid in and was therefore unable to get out of the way in time as the ball bounced into the unguarded net off his knee on the line.That saw the goal chalked off by VAR – before Pedro had the final word late on when he was given the freedom of the south coast.Ten Hag fumed: “We concede two soft goals where we should act better as a team. You can’t drop points. It is so unnecessary if you protect the goal like we do and then drop points. “It is very disappointing. We conceded two unnecessary goals – very avoidable.”There were some very good parts in the game. We had a lot of control in possession and created some chances, showed resilience and came back and scored what we thought was the winning goal. READ MORE SUN STORIES“We didn’t stop the cross. There were more than one mistake on that occasion and that had a big impact on the score.””[The disallowed goal] is such bad luck that the ball was on the line and it was touched by Zirkzee so that’s a pity.”Ten Hag’s frustration was clear to seeCredit: ReutersThe seagulls will be celebrating into the nightCredit: Rex More

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      Aston Villa vs Arsenal LIVE SCORE: Premier League updates as Jesus misses out with injury while Timber STARTS – latest

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      ARSENAL visit Aston Villa in what is already shaping up to be a huge clash in the Premier League.Both sides got off to winning starts last week as Arsenal look to mount another serious title challenge and Villa look to build on last season’s fourth-place finish.Jurrien Timber starts at the back, coming in for Oleksandr Zinchenko, while Gabriel Jesus is out of the squad entirely due to injury.Kick off time: 5.30pm BSTTV channel: Sky Sports Main / Premier LeagueLive stream: NOW / Sky GoAston Villa team: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Onana, Tielemans, McGinn, Bailey, Rogers, WatkinsArsenal team: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, HavertzFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSFollow our live blog below…Today’s full-timesBrighton 2 Manchester United 1Crystal Palace 0 West Ham United 2Fulham 2 Leicester City 1Manchester City 4 Ipswich Town 1Southampton 0 Nottingham Forest 1Tottenham Hotspur 4 Everton 0Copy linkCopiedHow you can watchThe game is live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.You can also stream the coverage on Now TV and Sky Go.It kicks off at 5:30pm, and you won’t want to miss it.Copy linkCopiedWho’s officiating?Referee: Michael Oliver.Assistants: Stuart Burt and Dan Cook.Fourth official: Darren England.VAR: Peter Bankes.Assistant VAR: Eddie Smart.Copy linkCopiedLast 10 Prem meetingsApr 14, 2024: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa (Premier League)Dec 09, 2023: Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal (Premier League)Feb 18, 2023: Aston Villa 2-4 Arsenal (Premier League)Aug 31, 2022: Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa (Premier League)Mar 19, 2022: Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal (Premier League)Oct 22, 2021: Arsenal 3-1 Aston Villa (Premier League)Feb 06, 2021: Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal (Premier League)Nov 08, 2020: Arsenal 0-3 Aston Villa (Premier League)Jul 21, 2020: Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal (Premier League)Sep 22, 2019: Arsenal 3-2 Aston Villa (Premier League)Copy linkCopiedMeanwhile…Emi Martinez has signed a contract extension with Villa.He joined the club from Arsenal and has continued to excel between the sticks.Unai Emery revealed: “We are very happy because Emiliano Martínez is very important. He’s involved completely in this project.“When I arrived here, I knew him before because we were working in Arsenal together. I knew his mentality and even now it’s stronger than before because he’s achieving individual objectives with his national team and here with Aston Villa.“His extension is fantastic for us and very good for every supporter of Aston Villa, we can be proud of him.”Copy linkCopiedAnd here’s the Villa XICopy linkCopiedTeam newsHere’s the team facing Villa.Timber starts instead of Zinchenko.Copy linkCopiedWhat the bookies sayHere are the latest odds from BetMGM.Match Result:Aston Villa – 19/5Draw – 14/5Arsenal – 7/10Copy linkCopiedEmery’s thoughtsWe are excited, we are motivated, but we have to show again our capacity.“If we are able to repeat with the different players, with the different ways, one year more here how we can compete, how we can face teams like Arsenal.“The challenge is motivating for us and our supporters to face them.”Copy linkCopiedArteta on Villa challengeMikel Arteta on facing Aston Villa this evening after Unai Emery’s side did the double over the Gunners last season.He said: “They scored and we didn’t, it’s very simple. In two games, even though we had an enormous amount of chances to do that, and that was one of the big differences, one of the details we have analysed. We have to do better tomorrow. “They are a really good side, really well coached. They dominate every aspect of the game. “When you give them space to run they are phenomenal and when they have to find space they are able to do that. “Set pieces as well. That’s why they did what they did last season.”Credit: GettyCopy linkCopiedJesus out for GunnersGabriel Jesus has not travelled with the Arsenal squad to Villa Park due to a groin issue.Kai Havertz will likely lead the line once again after picking up a goal in the 2-0 win over Wolves on opening weekend.Credit: GettyCopy linkCopiedGood evening and welcome to SunSport’s live blog of Aston Villa vs Arsenal!The Gunners head to Villa Park after a comfortable 2-0 win over Wolves on opening weekend.Villa also got off to a winning start, beating West Ham 2-1 at the London Stadium, thanks to a late Jhon Duran winner.Arsenal are looking to mount another serious title challenge this season and put an end to Manchester City’s dominance. While Unai Emery’s men will be hoping the distraction of Champions League football won’t hinder their great progress last term.Credit: EPACopy linkCopied More

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      Why has Emi Martinez changed his number to 23? Aston Villa goalkeeper explains his new shirt number

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      EMI MARTINEZ is no longer Aston Villa’s No 1.But the decision has been fully of the goalkeeper’s own making.Martinez will no longer be sporting Villa’s No 1 shirtCredit: GettyMartinez joined Villa from Arsenal in 2020 for £20m, and has made 145 league appearances for the Villans.He has since excelled both at club level and for Argentina at international level.Martinez lifted the World Cup with Argentina in 2022, playing in every minute and winning the Golden Glove.BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSMartinez will now wear the No 23 shirtCredit: AVFCWhy has Emi Martinez changed his shirt number?Emi Martinez has said he changed his shirt number because 23 holds more resonance to him, both on the pitch and off it.Martinez wore the No 23 shirt as Argentina’s goalkeeper when they won the World Cup.And 23 was also the day his son, Santi, was born.Martinez said: “Well, it’s been, I think, four seasons with the number one. “I won all the trophies with the national team with the number 23. [It’s] the day my boy was born. Most read in Football”I want to bring silverware to the fans, to Villa. I’m really superstitious to be fair, so changing to 23, it’s a really special number.”Martinez wore the No 23 for Argentina at the World CupCredit: PAThe last player to wear the 23 shirt for Aston Villa was Philippe Coutinho.After a loan spell from Barcelona, Coutinho made his move permanent for £17m in May 2022.However after falling down the pecking order under Unai Emery, Coutinho agreed a drastic pay-cut to be able to leave Villa Park, albeit on loan.He now plays on loan back in Brazil for Vasco da Gama after a spell in Qatar for Al-Duhail. More

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      Amad Diallo goal celebration: Why does the Man Utd winger cover his eye when he scores?

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      AMAD Diallo’s journey from a young talent in Abidjan to a key player for Manchester United is nothing short of extraordinary. Discover how his emotional goal celebration honours a late friend and why his career trajectory has captivated fans around the world.Amad Diallo has a special way to celebrate his goalsCredit: ReutersWho is Amad Diallo?Amad Diallo was born on July 11, 2002, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a winger or midfielder. He is currently with Manchester United in the Premier League and represents the Ivory Coast national team.Amad emigrated to Italy at a young age and began his football career at Boca Barco’s youth team. He was highly impressive in youth tournaments, which led to his move to Atalanta’s youth academy in 2015.read more on amad dialloAmad progressed through Atalanta’s youth ranks and made his Serie A debut in October 2019, becoming the first player born in 2002 to score in Italy’s top flight. He also made appearances in the UEFA Champions League during his time with Atalanta.In January 2021, Amad signed with Manchester United for a fee that could rise to €40 million. He had a promising start, scoring on his debut for the U-23 team and making his senior debut soon after. Most read in FootballHis time with United included loan spells at Rangers and Sunderland. Amad returned to Manchester United’s first team in December 2023 and scored significant goals, including a memorable FA Cup quarter-final winner against Liverpool in March 2024.He made his senior international debut for Ivory Coast in March 2021 and scored his first international goal in June 2021. He also represented Ivory Coast at the 2020 Summer Olympics.Why does Amad Diallo cover his eye when he scores?Amad is honouring his friend in his celebrationCredit: GettyAmad Diallo’s goal celebration, where he covers his right ear and left eye, is a tribute to his late friend and former Atalanta teammate, Willy Braciano Ta Bi. Willy Ta Bi passed away in February 2021 due to liver cancer.The celebration is a way for Amad to honour Willy’s memory. He said in an interview for Manchester United: “My first thought was… mamma mia!”I have scored a goal in a United shirt! I couldn’t believe it. “My second thought was for Willy.”Willy Braciano Ta Bi, my former team-mate, had died a couple of weeks earlier. “Willy was a good friend of mine, another Ivorian in the youth team at Atalanta, and he had always showed me a specific goal celebration and he said that when he scored his first goal for the Atalanta first-team, that was how he was going to celebrate.“So, as soon as I scored against Milan, that came into my mind. Celebrate like Willy.”So I did his celebration. I wanted to remember him like that.”I had to remember my good friend.” It was a very emotional moment for me, as well as being a great moment in my career.”Amad is not alone in his distinctive goal celebrations; many footballers have their own unique rituals. For instance, Bruno Fernandes often performs his “I can’t hear you” celebration by covering both of his ears, Marcus Rashford points to his head, Rasmus Højlund plays an air guitar, and Kobbie Mainoo salutes the crowd and blows kisses after scoring.READ MORE SUN STORIESHow many goals has Amad Diallo scored for Manchester United?As of August 2024, Amad Diallo has scored a total of 4 goals for Manchester United.He also netted 3 goals during his loan spell at Rangers and added 14 goals while on loan at Sunderland. More

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      Armando Broja’s loan transfer from Chelsea to Ipswich on brink of COLLAPSING after injury is revealed in medical

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      ARMANDO BROJA’S loan move from Chelsea to Ipswich is on the brink of collapse after his medical revealed signs of an Achilles injury.The two clubs agreed a deal for the striker to spend the season at Ipswich earlier this week.Armando Broja’s proposed move to Ipswich is at risk of collapsingCredit: RexBut SunSport has learned that the player’s medical has thrown up complications.Ipswich have not walked away from the deal completely but are understood to now be looking at other options. Broja’s medical problems are a huge blow for Chelsea, who are seeking to offload at least 15 players before the transfer window shuts on Friday.The Albanian international has been told he has no future at Stamford Bridge under Enzo Maresca.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHowever, the club may now struggle to sell him despite interest from Everton. Chelsea had also agreed a clause with Ipswich for them to buy Broja for £30m next summer if Kieran McKenna’s side stay in the Premier League. As a homegrown player Broja’s transfer fee could be registered as pure profit by Chelsea.This would help them comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules next year. Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSBroja’s Chelsea career has been plagued by injuries. The 22-year-old missed much of last season with a knee problem and failed to make an impact during the second half of the campaign on loan at Fulham. Chelsea were approached for comment.  Jamie Carragher says ‘players should stop joining Chelsea’ and ‘sign a four-year deal at a proper club’ in stunning rantChelsea ratings vs ServetteCHELSEA sealed their first win under new manager Enzo Maresca as they beat Swiss minnows Servette.Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke got the second-half goals to give the Blues a commanding lead in their Uefa Conference League play-off double header.But it was far from convincing with Chelsea BOOED OFF at half-time.Here’s how SunSport’s Jack Rosser rated the Blues stars…Filip Jorgensen – 7Made some very smart saves – especially late on as the visitors caused problems and came close to finding a goal to get back in.Axel Disasi – 6Kept things quiet down Chelsea’s right hand side having been started out of position at right-back. The Frenchman did not offer much going forwards but was more than solid enough defensively.Tosin Adarabioyo – 6An assured first start for the club since joining from Fulham on a free transfer. The defender was not caused any real problems and dominated in the air – a big reason Chelsea decided to snap him up.Benoit Badiashile – 6Solid enough defensively but looked awkward on the ball at times, especially when Chelsea were trying to pick a way through a solid midfield.Renato Veiga – 5Was given the task of moving inside from left-back and looked to struggle a lot at points, losing the ball cheaply on half way at one stage.Moises Caicedo – 5The midfielder was sent out in the holding role and hardly helped defensively by having Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Nkunku, a striker, ahead of him. Struggled to get a grip of midfield and dictate the game.Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 7A very encouraging full debut for the summer signing – neat and positive on the ball and created some good chances for those ahead of him.Pedro Neto – 6A first start for his new club and the winger made some very encouraging runs down the right hand side. Will take time to settle but looks a very good option.Christopher Nkunku – 6Rather fortunate to win the penalty as it looked a touch harsh but stepped up and converted well.Mykhailo Mudryk – 4The definition of all bark, no bite. The Ukrainian winger has pace to burn and a huge bag of tricks but neither help him make any significant impact on games.Continuing to play like that and Raheem Sterling might have a future here after all.Marc Guiu – 6Missed an absolute sitter to score his first goal for Chelsea.After working so hard through the first half, Guiu turned a tap in into a howler when putting what should have been an easy finish straight at the scrambling Servette keeper. More

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      Brighton 2-1 Man Utd LIVE RESULT: Pedro’s last-gasp header snatches all three points for Seagulls in Prem thriller

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have lost 2-1 to Brighton courtesy of a last-gasp header from Joao Pedro!Alejandro Garnacho thought he had earned the win for United before it was ruled out in a freak offside incident.But it is the Seagulls striker who has taken the headlines as the hosts make it two wins from two.RESULT: Brighton 2-1 Man UtdTV channel: TNT Sports 1Live stream: Discovery+Brighton XI: Steele; Veltman, Paul van Hecke, Dunk, Hinshelwood; Milner, Gilmour; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; WelbeckMan Utd XI: Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Mount, Rashford; FernandesFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSFollow ALL the action from AMEX with our live blog below…That’s all from the AmexIt’s been a triumphant afternoon for Brighton and Hove Albion – but already those questions are being asked again of Manchester United.The glory of last Friday’s late victory over Fulham seems a long time ago now as the Red Devils’ same old frailties in defence were exposed.And the problem with losing the early game of the weekend is that you then have to watch on as your rivals play and possibly take advantage.Still, you can follow coverage of all the 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League with SunSport, but from us here on the south coast it’s thank you and goodbye.Copy linkCopiedDanny does for United againDanny Welbeck got the ball rolling for Brighton this afternoon, turning in Kaoru Mitoma’s cross for the 100th goal of his club career.Twenty-nine of those were scored for Manchester United, but they seem a long time ago now with the striker having left Old Trafford a decade ago.And now Welbeck has five Premier League goals against the Red Devils, only netting more in his career against West Ham (6).The 33-year-old has scored more goals against United than any of their former players in the competition.Copy linkCopiedUnited’s 90th-minute nightmaresSince 2022-23, Manchester United have lost more Premier League games thanks to goals scored in the 90th minute and beyond than any other club (6).They had only lost two such games in the first 30 seasons of the Premier League. Copy linkCopiedMatch stats from the AmexSince the start of 2017-18 – Brighton’s first Premier League campaign – only Manchester City (8) have picked up more top-flight victories against Manchester United than the Seagulls (7).Copy linkCopiedFull time – Brighton 2-1 Man UtdThe final whistle goes and Brighton are two wins from two under their young manager Fabian Hurzeler.But for Manchester United, it’s a sense of déjà vu.Beaten by Brighton again, and once more wondering what steps to take with this unbalanced and underachieving squad.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 2-1 Man Utd90+7. Forget the heavy rain, these Brighton fans are walking on sunshine.They’re just seconds away from beating Manchester United AGAIN.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 2-1 Man Utd90+5. Joao Pedro has won it for Brighton deep in stoppage time!The Seagulls sensed victory at the death and swooped as Manchester United’s defence went missing.With their backs to the wall, the visitors fail to clear their lines from a corner and that presents the ball to Simon Adingra on the left of the penalty area.The substitute teases two opponents before stepping up a cross to the far post where Joao Pedro has been left all alone.One free header late and the roof comes off the Amex.Matthijs de Ligt and Scott McTominay look desperately at each other. Erik ten Hag looks desperately at his iPad. The Manchester United fans look desperately for the exit.Copy linkCopiedWinner!Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd90+2. Brighton are going for it here. Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd90. The board goes up for seven minutes of stoppage time.That’s more than enough time to win it.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd89. A late flurry of changes.Brighton’s new £40m man Georginio Rutter is on as well as Yasin Ayari and Simon Adingra; they replace Minteh, Mitoma and Gilmour.Antony is into the action too with the Manchester United man taking over from Amad.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd87. Van Hecke cracks Martinez with a challenge on the knee, and unsurprisingly provokes an angry reaction from the Argentine.Casemiro is quickly in to play peacemaker as a yellow card is directed in the direction of the Dutchman.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd85. Both sides are pushing for a winner with five minutes remaining.There’s never been a Premier League draw between these two clubs, and they don’t want to start today.Garnacho tries his luck from distance with a shot that soars over.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd83. Dunk threatens from a corner that was won after Onana had hit Minteh with a thumping but fair challenge.The Brighton captain gets up with a header that flashes across goal and wide.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd81. Amad could have been in on goal again, but mistimes his break horribly and is a good three yards offside.In the words of Barry Davies, it didn’t need to be that way.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd79. Two more changes for Manchester United.Scott McTominay swiftly marks his arrival with a Cruyff turn, and he’s joined on the pitch by Matthijs de Ligt.Manchester United captains past and present make way as Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes are removed.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd77. No bookings for the first 75 minutes but then two in two minutes.This time it’s Kobbie Mainoo, whose name is noted down by Craig Pawson after the midfielder pulled back Kaoru Mitoma.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd75. The first yellow card of the game is shown the way of Amad.The Manchester United goalscorer is cautioned for a clumsy challenge on Danny Welbeck.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd73. James Milner has run his race like the old warhorse he is.Carlos Baleba takes over midfield duties.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd71. Alejandro Garnacho rolls into the empty net and Manchester United lead at the Amex Stadium!Or do they?!The VAR officials are looking at this one in detail amid protests from the Brighton defenders.Their initial complaints, however, should be focused on their shape that left them facing a 4-on-3 attack from a routine clearance.On the right, Bruno Fernandes takes advantage by timing his run expertly and playing a low delivery across goal.Joshua Zirkzee misses it, but following up is Garnacho to tap home.However. HOWEVER. The Argentine’s shot is directed back towards where Zirkzee is sliding, and connects with the striker’s knee just before it crosses the line.And it is offside!It’s unusual. It’s freakish. It’s quite funny. But it is offside.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd68. Superb covering from Veltman denies Dalot from sneaking through on goal.It had been a superb run from the back by the Portuguese full-back too.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd66. It’s Marcus Rashford that makes way.The forward is replaced by Alejandro Garnacho with just over a quarter of the game remaining.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd64. Erik ten Hag looked as though he was about to make a substitution before that goal – and it looks as though he’s going to continue with the change despite the update in score.Alejandro Garnacho is being prepared.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd62. Manchester United tails are up now, and they’re off and running down the right again with Amad.This time, however, Gilmour tracks the winger brilliantly and wins the ball back in style.That will be another £5m, Napoli.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-1 Man Utd60. Against the run of play, Manchester United are level!Amad wheels away to celebrate in front of the travelling fans, but much of this goal is down to the defensive misfortune of Jan Paul van Hecke.First, the Dutchman plays the winger onside after the rest of the Brighton back four had stepped up, and then, in his determination to get back and atone, he diverts Amad’s shot past Jason Steele.The video officials do take a look at the through ball from Noussair Mazraoui to the goalscorer, but quickly ascertain that the Ivorian is onside.All square at the Amex!Copy linkCopied More

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      Man Utd’s freak goal to take lead against Brighton ruled out after Joshua Zirkzee caught out in bonkers offside

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      ALEJANDRO GARNACHO’S goal was ruled out thanks to a freak Joshua Zirkzee offside.The Manchester United winger thought he had tapped in an easy finish to put the Red Devils in front against Brighton with 20 minutes to go at the Amex.Alejandro Garnacho thought he had put Man Utd in front at BrightonCredit: TNT SportsThe goal was ruled out because Joshua Zirkzee was offsideCredit: TNT SportsHowever, the ball ricocheted off Zirkzee’s knee ON the line – with the striker having already slid in and missing the initial pass across by Bruno Fernandes.And so even though the ball was clearly going in, the goal was chalked off in bizarre fashion because the summer signing was ahead of Garnacho at the time of the shot.Had Zirkzee made contact with the ball once the ball had fully crossed the line, the goal would have stood.But the Dutchman could do nothing to prevent the inadvertent intervention.Zirkzee – who scored the winner on his debut against Fulham last week – reacted immediately as if he knew he had messed up the Garnacho goal.So when the Argentine wheeled away in celebration, his United team-mate got to his feet and stood perplexed and dejected inside the goal. And fans quickly flooded social media with reaction.One said: “You can’t blame Joshua Zirkzee there. Every striker would stick his leg out there, it’s intuition. He just got unlucky.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnother wrote: “Such a shame for Garnacho. Can’t fault Zirkzee for his reaction.”A third joked: “Justice for Coventry,” in reference to the controversial FA Cup semi-final finale as United survived thanks to a toe-nail VAR offside call. Hilarious moment Man Utd and England ace Kobbie Mainoo MOCKS injured team-mate Leny Yoro as he struggles to get into carBut a fair few want the offside rules to be changed because Zirkzee’s accidental mishap had no advantage for the attacking team.One explained: “It’s the right decision but just feel common sense should be applied here. There’s no impact on the outcome, the ball was going in the net, there’s no defence, no goalkeeper unsighted. The destination had not changed.”A second typed: “That’s actually pretty stupid the rule should be changed to allow that as a goal especially as no player had a chance of stopping.”And it proved a costly touch from Zirkzee.The incident happened at 1-1, with Amad Diallo’s deflected strike cancelling out ex-United man Danny Welbeck’s opener.But in the fifth minute of injury time, Joao Pedro was given acres of space at the back post to head in a dramatic winner to snatch all three points.Zirkzee was spotted talking to Ten Hag as they walked off the pitch after full-time, seemingly explaining what happened. Garnacho thought he had done enough before the inadvertent interventionCredit: PAThe Argentine initially wheeled away in celebrationCredit: GettyBut he was ultimately left disappointed when VAR intervenedCredit: GettyThe Dutchman was clearly offside after his initial slideCredit: TNT SportsThe decision was confirmed on the big screensCredit: Getty More