Brighton’s Scoring Run Tests United’s Cup Ambitions at Old Trafford

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United return to Old Trafford on Wednesday night for an EFL Cup meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion, with a place in the English Football League Cup fourth round at stake. The match gives United an immediate opportunity to reset after a difficult start to the domestic campaign.

Brighton have won seven of the last 11 matchups between the clubs across all competitions. Midfielder Pascal Gross has been central to that recent record, scoring seven career goals against Manchester United—his highest individual goal tally against any opponent.

Fabian Hürzeler’s side has scored 13 goals through four Premier League matches, giving Brighton the highest-scoring attack in the division. The Seagulls have collected seven league points from two wins, one draw, and one loss.

Brighton arrive in Manchester after beating Coventry 5-0 on Sunday. The result matched the club’s second-largest margin of victory in Premier League history and included five distinct goalscorers.

United’s four league games have produced four points: one win, one draw, and two losses. That record leaves the club eight points behind joint-leaders Arsenal and Manchester City.

In the 199th Manchester derby on Sunday, United lost 1-0 to rival Manchester City. Erling Haaland scored the second-half winner despite City playing a man down after Phil Foden received a first-half red card.

Manager Michael Carrick’s squad has also allowed seven goals and has not recorded a clean sheet in domestic play this season. After Wednesday’s cup tie, United face a quick turnaround before traveling to Fulham for Premier League action on Sunday.

The EFL Cup was established in 1960 as the League Cup, a competition Manchester United have won six times. That total is third all-time in English football history, behind Liverpool’s 10 titles and Manchester City’s eight, and level with Aston Villa.

United’s most recent League Cup title came in the 2022–23 campaign, although the club exited last season’s tournament in the second round after losing to fourth-tier Grimsby Town.

Both squads face significant roster availability issues. Manchester United remain without injured defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Tom Heaton, midfielders Manuel Ugarte and Carlos Baleba, and winger Amad Diallo.

Luke Shaw missed Sunday’s derby and remains a decision for kickoff pending pre-match fitness testing. Brighton have seven confirmed absentees: Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma, Jack Hinshelwood, Zadok Yohanna, Mats Wieffer, Stefanos Tzimas, and Evan Ferguson.

Georginio Rutter, Femi Azeez, and Michael Svoboda are undergoing late evaluations after sitting out Sunday’s win over Coventry.

Projected Manchester United starters are Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Mazraoui; Mainoo, Santos; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Dorgu; Sesko.

Brighton’s projected lineup is Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Dunk, Vuskovic, Boscagli; Gross, Ayari; Gomez, Yalcouye, De Cuyper; Kostoulas.

Kickoff at Old Trafford is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. BST (3:00 p.m. EDT). Official team lineups will be released shortly before the match.

In the United Kingdom, broadcast coverage will be carried on ITV 1, Sky Sports Football, and Sky Sports Main Event, with digital live streams available via ITVX, NOW TV, and Sky Go.