Manchester United suffered a humiliating exit from the League Cup on Wednesday, blowing a 2-0 lead at home to Brighton & Hove Albion to lose 3-2 in the third round — the latest setback in what is becoming an increasingly troubled start to the season for manager Michael Carrick.
United made a dream start at Old Trafford, their famous stadium in the Trafford district of Manchester, as 19-year-old midfielder Shea Lacey opened the scoring after just eight minutes, lashing a clinical finish into the bottom corner for his first senior goal for the club. Mason Mount doubled the lead two minutes later, firing into the roof of the net after Jason Steele parried Marcus Rashford's shot. The cushion, however, proved deceptive. Charalampos Kostoulas pulled one back for Brighton in first-half stoppage time, punishing poor marking to drill past goalkeeper Karl Darlow. Pascal Gross equalised in the 65th minute, and Maxim De Cuyper swept home the winner five minutes later to complete a stunning turnaround. Late introductions of Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha could not inspire a United response, and the home crowd booed the side off the pitch. It was the first time in 50 years that United had lost a match at Old Trafford after leading 2-0.
The defeat deepens the pressure on Carrick, who was appointed on a permanent basis after guiding the club to third place as interim manager last season. United have now lost three of their six games across all competitions this term, with their only Premier League victory coming in four matches played. Sunday's controversial 1-0 home loss to Manchester City — in which the referees' governing body later admitted that Erling Haaland's winning goal should not have stood following a VAR error — has further soured the mood around the club. Carrick's decision to make eight changes for the cup tie exposed what many see as a worrying lack of squad depth, a concern compounded by criticism of the club's summer transfer activity.
Brighton, currently fifth in the Premier League, have now knocked United out of two cup competitions at Old Trafford within nine months, having also won an FA Cup tie there in January. For United, the result is a fresh embarrassment — last season's League Cup exit came at the hands of Grimsby Town, a fourth-tier side. United now face a crucial Premier League trip to Fulham on Sunday, where a defeat would deepen what is already shaping up as a full-blown early-season crisis.