Manchester United’s hopes of salvaging silverware this season suffered a major blow on Sunday night as they crashed out of the FA Cup following a 2-1 defeat to Brighton.
The Red Devils, already out of Europe and previously eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Grimsby Town, now face the real prospect of ending the campaign without a trophy.
United made an encouraging start at Old Trafford but fell behind early when Brajan Gruda found the net in the 12th minute. Brighton tightened their grip on the tie soon after, with former United forward Danny Welbeck punishing his old club with a composed finish to make it 2-0.
Benjamin Sesko reduced the deficit for the hosts in the second half, but his goal ultimately served only as a consolation, as Brighton held firm to secure progression.
United will now turn their attention to the Premier League, where they face a daunting derby clash against Manchester City in their next fixture at Old Trafford.
