After the victory over City last week, the sense among the fanbase was that anything was possible as Brighton travelled North to play the red half of Manchester. Could the Albion find a way to put Spurs under pressure in 5th place of the WSL table or at least make serious push to better last seasons’ points tally?

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• For a full recap of the match action courtesy of Bruce Talbot on the Official BHAFC Website click: HERE
• Match highlights are available via the WSL YouTube channel: HERE
• The SheGulls Podcast will be reviewing the game on Monday night from 9pm over on the SheGulls YouTube channel: HERE – where you can watch via the Live tab or on catch-up any time after broadcast!

Brighton & Hove Albion

• Brighton started the game with real energy and translated that into a coordinated press which meant United didn’t really know whether they were coming or going. Although the home side edged the possession stats, there wasn’t much purpose to their forays into the Albion half and the defence stood firm when called upon.
• For all of Brighton’s endeavour, they needed to take advantage whilst they had the upper hand. Cue another well-timed press in the 39th minute. A poor pass from Phallon Tullis-Joyce to Hinata Miyazawa allowed Jelena Cankovic to steal the ball and go through on goal. With trademark composure, rather than blasting the ball as hard as she could, the Serbian international took it round PTJ and tucked it past the despairing lunge of Maya Le Tissier. No less than the Albion deserved as they headed in at half-time a goal to the good.
• Whether Red Devils manager Marc Skinner gave his players what for during the break, or whether he devised a way to improve his side tactically, we’ll never know. However, the combination of United enhancing their output and Brighton unconsciously moving away from their own game, made the second half a tougher watch.
• Neither side looked particularly dangerous, but the more time wore on at 1-0 the more concern grew that Manchester United would find someway to get back into it by hook or by crook. Heartbreakingly, they did just that with barely two minutes left on the clock.
• A long crossfield ball from former Albion favourite Le Tissier found Jayde Riviere in acres of space on the right hand side. She played in Melvine Malard who sent a rather hopeful pass into the box which probably would have been dealt with easily, but for it taking a deflection backwards off Moeka Minami. This put the ball directly into the path of Lea Schuller who drove home past Chiamaka Nnadozie.
• To say it took the wind out of the sails of an overall commendable performance would be an understatement. There was an element of fortune to it, but questions need to be asked as to how Riviere was quite so free on the right flank, Albion’s left. It felt as though in an effort to recover the defence got pulled out of shape and that is where players like Schuller make their living capitalising on space and time allowed by the opposition.
• This is where it is hard for the players to have the perspective that sometimes the fans are able to see. Once the final whistle went they looked like they’d lost the game, and in many ways it would have felt like that. From the fans’ perspective though, we travelled away to a top four team and took them to the brink, coming off wins against Arsenal and Manchester City in the past few weeks. Was the performance perfect, no, but it was damn good and the fact we are competing with these teams is a statement in and of itself. It’s ok to feel disappointed, that’s natural, but hopefully the players also feel what the supporters feel – this is a Brighton side who can beat anyone, any time, anywhere.
• The statistics are what you’d expect from a 1-1 draw for the most part except the xG was in favour of the Albion by 1.82 to 0.7 – an entire goal swing. Of course that doesn’t tell the story of the game, but it does tell you that the Seagulls had the better opportunities to score over the 90-minutes by a significant margin.
• The challenges faced in the second half came not so much from an individual issue – it was more so that Brighton stopped doing the Brighton things which bore them success in the first half. You could sense that both on and off the field frustration was mounting. One of the biggest challenges for Dario Vidosic and his staff going forward, particularly with a crucial FA Cup tie coming up, is to get the team playing their game from the first minute to the last. A game of two halves is only a positive if you win after all.

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Manchester United

• I’ve watched two United games in a row now, including their previous 0-0 draw with Spurs, and they’ve been pretty toothless in both. This despite having the likes of Schuller, Wangerheim, Malard, Park, Toone et al. It seems like they’re missing the presence of the much maligned former Albion striker Elisabeth Terland more than some would care to admit.
• This hasn’t necessarily been the case over the last couple of years, but having seen every ‘Big 4’ club home and away this season, the Red Devils deserve to finish fourth. For those teams European football is always the aim so it remains to be seen as to whether Skinner keeps his job into 2026/27. That’s not wishing him ill, it just that it feels like something needs to change, and that is the route most clubs head down initially – right or wrong.

Other Business

• Get this, according to the referee, Grace Lowe, Manchester United didn’t commit a single foul. Not a one. In the whole game. If you believe that then there’s some tartan paint I can sell you at a good price. Not only did United commit fouls, they committed the very same ones that saw Brighton players pulled up for. You can appreciate an official who likes to let the game flow, but it is the inconsistency that is unforgivable. One to watch back for the PGMO bods.
• The fans in and around Leigh Sports Village were very welcoming, friendly and helpful. Almost every trip we’ve had t’up North this season has been met with positivity and we try our best as we travel around the country to uphold a standard of behaviours that leaves home fans with an even better opinion of us than they had previously. Turns out if you’re polite and respectful, people tend to be polite and respectful back to you.
• This was Leah Galton’s home farewell to the United fans as she will leave the club at the end of the season. A true professional with a positive outlook despite challenges faced throughout her career, whatever Galton does next she’ll doubtless do well.

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The SheGulls Podcast – where we will discuss the draw against Manchester United and look ahead to both Arsenal in the WSL and Liverpool in the FA Cup – will be live Monday @ 9pm on YouTube – and available subsequently on demand by clicking on the ‘Live’ tab on the channel menu.

Audio of the entire episode will then be released later in the week via Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

See you all soon!