“These two things…”: Fabian Hurzeler explains how Brighton derailed United in midweek

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Manchester United fell apart like a house of cards earlier this week against Brighton & Hove Albion in the EFL Cup third-round tie at Old Trafford. The Red Devils arrived at the game seething from their 1-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City last weekend.

Everyone expected a response from the team that had failed to get the better of a City side playing with 10 men for more than an hour. United began with a bang against the Seagulls in midweek, scoring in the eighth minute through Shea Lacey.

Mason Mount doubled the lead two minutes later, and it appeared that the Red Devils had rediscovered their mojo. If supporters were expecting the floodgates to open and United to progress to the next round in style, they were in for a shock.

Fabian Hurzeler’s team initiated a comeback on the stroke of half-time through Charalampos Kostoulas, before Pascal Groß drew his team level in the 65th minute. Three minutes later Maxim De Cuyper put Brighton ahead and helped secure a 3-2 win. Hurzeler has now revealed how his team managed to get the better of United.

Brighton believed they could overcome United

Speaking to Sky Germany, Hurzeler insisted that his team overcame a 2-0 deficit because they had belief in themselves. He said: “We talked a lot about belief before the match. When you go to Old Trafford, you need to believe in yourself, in your team-mates, in your own ability, in our system, our principles and our values.”

“And when you’re two goals down, the most important thing is not to lose that belief. The second point is character. In situations like that, there are two ways to go: either you go completely off the rails and everyone does their own thing, or you stick to your game plan, stay calm and composed, and trust yourself.”

“These two things were incredibly important for us. As a team, we’re also benefiting from the fact that the bond between the players is getting stronger and stronger.”

“They’re getting to know each other better and better, both on and off the pitch, and they trust one another. That bond is extremely important.”

United vs Brighton: Attacking Stats

Belief is crucial

Despite going two goals behind early in the game, Brighton maintained their composure and worked their way into the tie. When asked if he prepares his team to deal with such a scenario before the start of the game, Hurzeler said: “No, the idea is definitely not to be two goals down!”

“But regardless of whether you’re ahead or behind, you always need to believe that you can win the match. That’s crucial, especially against teams with outstanding individual players – against a top-three side in the Premier League.”

“Regardless of the system or tactics, you have to believe in yourself and your team. That’s why it will always be an issue when we play against the big teams.”

Final Thoughts

United were brilliant in the second half of last season when everyone had written them off, and they must rediscover that mentality this campaign. Perhaps all the Red Devils need is a little bit of belief in themselves and their abilities, and fans will hope that they can find it this weekend against Fulham.