Brighton vs Man Utd tips and predictions: Reds fall short in push for Europe

George Dempsey
16 May 2024

Brighton will end an historic Premier League season in the club’s history on Sunday (1600 BST) when they face Manchester United.

Brighton have enjoyed an historic season with the AMEX Stadium staging European football, but all that’s left to play for is a top-half finish when they face Man Utd on Sunday.

The Seagulls were in the race for the top seven but one win in nine matches has scuppered their chances.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side fell short again on Wednesday as they were beaten 2-1 by a Chelsea side who took control of sixth place by winning.

This weekend’s opponents have a chance of securing European football, despite the fact they sit three points and a hefty goal difference behind the Blues.

The Red Devils may be eighth, but finishing seventh will mean Europa Conference League qualification should they lose the FA Cup final. However, if they win, they’ll qualify for the Europa League.

They’ve given themselves a good chance by beating Newcastle on Wednesday night, but despite an improved performance, you could argue they were fortunate to do so.

Andre Onana put in a man-of-the-match performance as Ten Hag’s side struck three times against the run of play. Newcastle had the lion's share of big chances and wasted them.

Brighton may be in poor form, but they’ve still avoided defeat in 14 of 18 home matches. Aston Villa fell foul of the Seagull's potential less than two weeks ago.

United are winless in six on their travels and across five meetings with Brighton. This disjointed team needs the season to end so a home win wouldn’t be a surprise.

Equally untrustworthy, though, is Brighton’s leaky defence. This has all the makings of a wild, end-to-end final-day match in the Premier League.