Overview
- Manchester United squandered a two-goal lead on Wednesday and lost 3-2 to Brighton at Old Trafford, eliminating them from the Carabao Cup third round.
- Shea Lacey scored on his first start and Mason Mount made it 2-0 inside 10 minutes, but Charalampos Kostoulas, Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper turned the game around for Brighton.
- Manager Michael Carrick publicly accepted responsibility after the match and supporters at Old Trafford booed the team at full-time.
- Coverage and pundits highlighted that United made no senior defensive signings in the summer, leaving inexperienced options in the backline that were exposed in the comeback.
- The defeat piles short-term pressure on Carrick ahead of a league trip to Fulham and sharpens long-term questions about recruitment and squad depth before the January window.