Manchester United suffered one of their most painful nights of the early 2026/27 season after throwing away a two-goal lead against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup.
Playing at Old Trafford on Thursday (September 17, 2026) in the early hours of WIB, United appeared to be cruising after scoring twice inside the opening 10 minutes.
Instead, the match turned into a dramatic collapse.
Shea Lacey and Mason Mount gave Manchester United a 2-0 advantage before Charalampos Kostoulas pulled one back before half-time. Pascal Gross then equalised in the second half, before Maxim De Cuyper completed Brighton’s comeback.
The 2-3 defeat not only eliminated United from the Carabao Cup but also increased the pressure surrounding Michael Carrick.
Manchester United Lose Control After Fast Start
The opening stages could hardly have gone better for Manchester United.
Shea Lacey opened the scoring before Mason Mount doubled the advantage just minutes later. With a 2-0 lead inside the first 10 minutes, United had established a strong position at Old Trafford.
However, Brighton gradually changed the momentum.
Kostoulas reduced the deficit before the break, giving the visitors renewed belief going into the second half.
United were unable to restore control after the interval.
Pascal Gross brought Brighton level before De Cuyper completed the turnaround. What had looked like a comfortable Manchester United advantage had become a 2-3 defeat.
The sequence was particularly damaging because United were playing at home and had established a two-goal advantage so early in the contest.
Carrick Accepts Responsibility
Carrick understood the frustration from the Manchester United supporters after the final whistle.
United’s players attempted to acknowledge the fans around the pitch, but their efforts were met with boos.
Rather than distancing himself from the reaction, Carrick accepted responsibility for the result.
“I fully understand how the supporters feel. We have to accept it. I fully accept it. Ultimately, that becomes my responsibility. We cannot accept that as a group. I take responsibility for that. The performance at the end of the second half is my responsibility,” Carrick said.
The comments underline the pressure now facing the 45-year-old manager.
Carrick had previously enjoyed a relatively positive period after replacing Ruben Amorim as Manchester United manager in January.
During the final 17 matches of the previous campaign, Carrick led United to 12 victories. That run helped the club finish third in the Premier League and return to the Champions League.
The start of the new campaign, however, has brought a very different picture.
United’s Early-Season Momentum Has Faded
Manchester United have now won only two of their first six matches across competitions this season.
Their Premier League record has also been underwhelming, with United collecting four points from their opening four league games.
The Carabao Cup defeat added another unwanted statistic to the club’s current situation.
United suffered a number of notable records during the loss to Brighton:
- It was their first defeat at Old Trafford after leading by two goals in 50 years.
- Their defeat after leading at half-time was their first at home since May 1984.
- United have not won a domestic cup match since beating Leicester City in the FA Cup in February 2025.
- The Brighton loss was their fourth consecutive domestic cup defeat.
- Those four cup defeats came under three different coaches: Ruben Amorim, Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick.
These records provide context for why the Brighton result has attracted such significant attention.
The issue is no longer simply one disappointing night. Manchester United have now entered a period where several negative trends are appearing at the same time.
Another Difficult Situation Surrounds JJ Gabriel
The defeat against Brighton also came at a complicated moment for Manchester United away from the pitch.
Just days earlier, United had lost to Manchester City in a controversial derby.
The club has also been dealing with uncertainty surrounding young talent JJ Gabriel, who has reportedly expressed a desire to leave Manchester United.
Gabriel is regarded as a highly promising young player, making the situation another source of attention around Old Trafford.
With the team struggling for consistency and questions emerging around the future of one of its young talents, Carrick now faces the challenge of stabilising the situation.
A Difficult Schedule Awaits Carrick
The immediate focus for Carrick is not the Carabao Cup anymore.
Manchester United have already been eliminated from the competition, meaning their attention must quickly turn toward the Premier League.
Their next match is against Fulham on Sunday.
Carrick knows there is little value in dwelling on the Brighton defeat. Instead, he wants his team to respond as quickly as possible.
“We have a big game on Sunday that we have to prepare for. We are out of this competition and have to get back to winning games. The next game is Sunday. That’s all I’m thinking about now,” Carrick said.
The schedule becomes demanding again after the international break.
Manchester United are set to face Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid and Leeds United.
Those fixtures will give Carrick further opportunities to address the issues exposed by the defeat to Brighton.
Manchester United Need an Immediate Response
The biggest concern from the Brighton match was not simply the final score.
United had already done the difficult part by establishing a 2-0 lead. The problem came when Brighton began to regain control and United could not stop the momentum from shifting.
For Carrick, that collapse provides plenty to analyse.
The manager has already accepted responsibility, but his focus is now on finding solutions.
Manchester United need to rediscover the form that produced 12 victories from Carrick’s final 17 matches last season. Their current results have created a very different atmosphere around the club, and the pressure will only increase if performances do not improve.
The defeat also means there is no longer a Carabao Cup campaign to provide another opportunity for progress.
Everything now turns toward the Premier League and the challenges ahead.
Carrick Has Little Time to Find Answers
Manchester United’s 2-3 defeat to Brighton has created a difficult moment for Carrick.
A two-goal lead at Old Trafford should have provided the foundation for a positive result. Instead, three second-half goals from Brighton completed a comeback that exposed United’s inability to maintain control.
Carrick has accepted responsibility for the collapse and insists his attention is already on Sunday’s match against Fulham.
The coming fixtures will now be important for Manchester United as they attempt to recover from a difficult start.
For Carrick, the task is straightforward but demanding: find answers, restore confidence and get Manchester United back to winning ways before the recent setbacks develop into a much larger problem.
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