League Cup,
Round of 32
Manchester United
MUN
Brighton
BRI
-
Venue
- Old Trafford
Preview for Manchester United v Brighton
Manchester United and Brighton meet at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening, with a place in the EFL Cup fourth-round draw at stake.
Manchester United’s 199th derby against Manchester City ended in frustration on Sunday, as Erling Haaland’s second-half goal gave the visitors a 1-0 win despite Phil Foden being sent off in the first half.
The defeat continued a poor start to the new campaign. United have won only one of their opening four Premier League matches, drawing one and losing two, while conceding seven goals without keeping a clean sheet.
They already sit eight points behind both Arsenal and Manchester City, making the EFL Cup an important opportunity to build some momentum before Sunday’s trip to Fulham.
United have won this competition six times, the third-highest total in its history, with their most recent triumph coming in 2022-23.
However, they were eliminated by fourth-tier Grimsby Town in the second round last season, and another early exit would add to the pressure surrounding Carrick’s side.
Brighton arrive at Old Trafford in considerably better spirits.
The Seagulls have collected seven points from their opening four Premier League games, winning two, drawing one and losing one. Their 13 goals are the most scored by any team in the division so far.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side were particularly impressive against newly promoted Coventry on Sunday, cruising to a 5-0 victory after five different players found the net.
Team News for Manchester United v Brighton
Manchester United remain without Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte, Amad Diallo, Tom Heaton and Carlos Baleba, who are all recovering from injury.
Luke Shaw is a doubt after missing the Manchester derby and will be assessed before kick-off.
Brighton have a lengthy injury list, with Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma, Jack Hinshelwood, Zadok Yohanna, Mats Wieffer, Stefanos Tzimas and Evan Ferguson all sidelined.
Georginio Rutter, Femi Azeez and Michael Svoboda also missed the victory over Coventry and face late fitness tests ahead of the trip to Manchester.
Expected line-ups for Manchester United v Brighton
Manchester United: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Mazraoui; Mainoo, Santos; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Dorgu; Sesko
Brighton: Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Dunk, Vuskovic, Boscagli; Gross, Ayari; Gomez, Yalcouye, De Cuyper; Kostoulas
Recent Form & Stats for Manchester United v Brighton
- Manchester United have won just one of their opening four Premier League matches this season.
- United have conceded seven goals and kept no clean sheets in the league so far.
- Brighton have scored 13 goals in their opening four Premier League fixtures.
- Brighton’s 5-0 win over Coventry was their joint-second biggest Premier League victory.
- Brighton have won seven of their last 11 meetings with Manchester United in all competitions.
- Pascal Gross has scored seven career goals against Manchester United, his highest total against any opponent.
Recent Results : Manchester United
-
Premier League
Manchester United
MUN
L 0 – 1 2026-09-13
Manchester City
MCI
-
UEFA Champions League
Manchester United
MUN
W 4 – 0 2026-09-10
Sabah FA
-
Premier League
Everton
EVE
D 2 – 2 2026-09-06
Manchester United
MUN
-
Premier League
Manchester United
MUN
W 5 – 2 2026-08-30
Ipswich
IPS
-
Premier League
Hull City
HUL
L 2 – 0 2026-08-22
Manchester United
MUN
Recent Results : Brighton
-
Premier League
Coventry
COV
W 0 – 5 2026-09-13
Brighton
BRI
-
Premier League
Brighton
BRI
D 1 – 1 2026-09-05
Leeds
LEE
-
Premier League
Chelsea
CHE
L 4 – 3 2026-08-30
Brighton
BRI
-
Premier League
Brighton
BRI
W 4 – 0 2026-08-23
Aston Villa
AST
-
Premier League
Brighton
BRI
L 0 – 3 2026-05-24
Manchester United
MUN
Where to Watch Manchester United v Brighton: TV and online streams
Kick-off on Wednesday is at 20:00 BST (17:00 ET / 12:00 PT). In the UK, live TV coverage is on ITV1, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Ultra.
Streaming is via ITV’s website and ITVX app, which is available on a vast variety of devices for viewing on the go.
Via Now TV, Sky Sports costs £14.99 for a day membership, £27.99 a month for a 12-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.
Prediction for Manchester United v Brighton
Match Prediction
Manchester United
Brighton
United's home advantage and the chance to respond to Sunday's derby defeat should make this a competitive contest, but their lack of creativity and defensive uncertainty remain major concerns. Brighton are playing with confidence, have been prolific in attack and have regularly caused United problems in recent meetings. Hurzeler's side should therefore have enough quality to progress to the fourth round and leave Carrick facing further questions about his team's early-season form
You Should Also Read
