Manchester United earned a dramatic 3-2 victory over Brighton with a Bruno Fernandes penalty awarded after the full-time whistle on Saturday.
Neal Maupay scored Brighton’s first goal of the game with a penalty in the first half which he delicately chipped into the goal while Marcus Rashford hit the target for United and Lewis Dunk scored an own goal.
Solly March thought he had earned the side a point with his last minute goal but Bruno Fernandes polished off a penalty on 99 minutes to secure United’s first win of the season.
Brighton shot out of the blocks at the Amex with Leandro Trossard hitting the post after just eight minutes with a left-footed shot.
The post was to prove to be Brighton’s downfall with three shots in the first-half — two from Trossard — rebounding off either side of David de Gea‘s goal.
Despite Brighton’s better start, it was United who found the back of the net first with Mason Greenwood on 33 minutes. However, replays show Rashford was offside in the build up and the goal was disallowed.
Brighton finally caught their break seven minutes later when Bruno Fernandes gave away a penalty for a clumsy challenge on Tariq Lamptey.
Maupay stepped up to take the spot kick and drifted a slow chip into the middle of the goal while De Gea dived to the left.
Brighton’s lead only lasted three minutes though after a Fernandes free kick from outside the box was put in by Dunk for his fifth own goal in the Premier League as he battled with Harry Maguire.
It was a busy day for referee Chris Kavanagh. Two minutes into the second half he awarded a penalty to Brighton after Aaron Connolly went down under a challenge from Paul Pogba. The decision was then overturned after VAR replays showed that the Ireland international stepped across Pogba.
Rashford thought he had put United ahead on 52 minutes but he was offside when Greenwood crossed the ball to him and the goal was disallowed.
Rashford made up for it three minutes later though with a beautiful display of individual skill. A pass from Fernandes on the left sent him running into the box. He dummied and danced around the Brighton defence before hitting a left-footed shot into the net.
Solly March had Brighton’s best chance of the half on the hour mark. Maupay found him in space and his curling shot hit the inside of the post and skirted along the United goal line before the ball went dead.