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Manchester United vs Brighton: Red Devils Aim To Bounce Back In EFL Cup

By Grace Thaba 16 Sep 2026 4 Min Read Save

Last updated: 16 Sep 2026, 20:30

Manchester United will look to put a difficult start to the Premier League season behind them when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Old Trafford in the EFL Cup third round on Wednesday night.

The tie presents United with an opportunity to respond after their narrow Manchester derby defeat, while Brighton arrive in Manchester full of confidence following a five-goal demolition of Coventry City.

The winners will advance to the fourth round, with the draw scheduled to take place immediately after Wednesday night’s matches. Fourth-round fixtures will be played during the week commencing 26 October.

United Searching For A Response

Manchester United’s weekend ended in frustration as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in the 199th Manchester derby.

Erling Haaland’s second-half goal proved decisive in controversial circumstances, with United left unhappy after a VAR decision involving an offside player interfering with play.

Despite having a numerical advantage for more than an hour following Phil Foden’s dismissal, United struggled to create clear-cut opportunities and were unable to capitalise on their extra man.

The result continued a difficult opening to the Premier League campaign for Michael Carrick’s side. United have won just one of their first four league matches, alongside one draw and two defeats, while they are yet to keep a clean sheet.

The Red Devils will now turn their attention to the EFL Cup before travelling to face Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.

United have won the competition six times, the third-most in its history, with their most recent triumph coming during the 2022-23 season.

Wednesday will also mark their first EFL Cup appearance since last season’s shock second-round elimination by League Two side Grimsby Town.

United will be hoping for a different outcome against Brighton after losing 2-1 to the Seagulls at Old Trafford in the FA Cup third round in January. They did, however, claim a 3-0 league victory over Brighton on the final day of last season.

Brighton Arrive In Confident Mood

Brighton could hardly have asked for better preparation for their trip to Old Trafford.

Fabian Hurzeler’s side sit fourth in the Premier League with seven points from their opening four matches, having recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat.

Their attacking numbers have been particularly impressive. Brighton have scored 13 goals, the highest total in the division at this stage, and their biggest haul after four matches in any of their 14 Premier League campaigns.

They continued that form on Sunday with a commanding 5-0 victory away to newly promoted Coventry City.

Five different Brighton players found the net, while goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen produced six saves to secure his fourth clean sheet in six matches across all competitions this season.

Brighton’s EFL Cup record, however, provides less encouragement. They have reached the quarter-finals only once, during the 1978-79 campaign, and have been eliminated in the fourth round in five of their last six seasons.

Their recent record against United will nevertheless give the visitors confidence.

Brighton have won seven of their last 11 meetings across all competitions, with four of those victories coming at Old Trafford.

Team News

United have made several changes for their EFL Cup meeting with Brighton, with Karl Darlow starting in goal.

Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui and Leny Yoro feature in defence, while Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans start in midfield. Benjamin Sesko leads the attack, with Shea Lacey also handed a starting role.

Brighton have also rotated their side, with Jason Steele starting in goal and Pascal Gross captaining the team.

Chema Andres, Matt O’Riley and Jaouen Hadjam are among those handed starts, while Brighton’s bench includes Bart Verbruggen, Lewis Dunk and Ibrahim Osman.