For Manchester United, the new era under Dutch coach Erik ten Hag began with a defeat and protests from dissatisfied fans.
England’s record champions lost in the Premier League 2-1 (0-2) against Brighton & Hove Albion. German Brighton pro Pascal Groß (30th/39th minute) scored both goals for the guests, who celebrated their first win at Old Trafford. The goal for Man United was an own goal by Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister (68).
Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who is said to be willing to change, and whose future has been speculated about for weeks, only came into play after 53 minutes. As a reason for why Ronaldo was not in the starting XI, ten Hag surprisingly named fitness deficits. “He’s working really hard to get to the right level of fitness,” the Dutchman told the BBC. “It takes time, that’s normal.”
Even before the game, the mood around Old Trafford was tense. The fan shop at the stadium was closed for security reasons when around 1,000 United supporters demonstrated against the American owner family Glazer. However, the protests remained peaceful. One of the club’s owners, Avie Glazer, sat in the stands and was chanted by fans throughout the game.
