Brighton rally from 2-0 down to beat Manchester United 3-2 in EFL Cup at Old Trafford

Brighton & Hove Albion recovered from a two-goal deficit to defeat Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup third round on September 16, 2026, advancing to the next stage of the competition.

Manchester United opened the scoring rapidly, taking a 2-0 lead inside the first 10 minutes through strikes from Shea Lacey and Mason Mount. The match narrative contrasted with United’s noted record of remaining unbeaten in league games when leading at halftime since 1984, a statistic frequently referenced in coverage. Having suffered a contentious 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League recently, the result compounded a run of successive setbacks for Michael Carrick’s side and left them 13th in the league standings.

Brighton began their fightback in the second half when Pascal Groß converted in the 65th minute to reduce the deficit to 2-1 and, five minutes later, levelled the score at 2-2. Groß’s 65th-minute goal brought his career total against Manchester United to eight in all competitions. That strike set the stage for a late turnaround at Old Trafford.

Belgian full-back Maxim De Cuyper entered the game as a substitute and scored the winner in the 70th minute, only minutes after coming on. De Cuyper’s finish made the score 3-2 and completed Brighton’s comeback from 2-0 down.

The 3-2 scoreline eliminated Manchester United from the EFL Cup at the third-round stage and allowed Brighton to progress to the competition’s next round. The defeat was described in coverage as one of United’s most disappointing results of the season.

Brighton advance in the EFL Cup while Manchester United’s campaign in the tournament ends for this season.