Manchester United loses to Brighton 3-2 in Carabao Cup after blowing 2-0 lead

Manchester United crashed out of the Carabao Cup third round on Wednesday, losing 3-2 to Brighton at Old Trafford despite taking a 2-0 lead within the opening ten minutes. Shea Lacey scored in the eighth minute on his first senior start, becoming the first teenager to score on his United debut since Marcus Rashford in February 2016, with Mason Mount doubling the advantage just two minutes later. Brighton halved the deficit before half-time through Charalampos Kostoulas, then completed a dramatic second-half turnaround with goals from Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper to seal progression to the fourth round.

The defeat marked a significant historical milestone for United: the last time the club lost at Old Trafford after leading by two or more goals was a 3-2 defeat to Tottenham in September 1976—a span of 50 years. Manager Michael Carrick acknowledged the collapse, stating "We can't accept that as a group" and taking direct responsibility for the performance. "The performance towards the end of the second half, that's on me," Carrick said. He rejected suggestions his job was under immediate threat, saying he was not bothered by pressure, but admitted the defeat compounds a difficult start to the season: United has won only two of six matches in all competitions and sits 13th in the Premier League with four points.

Carrick made eight changes to the starting lineup but his defensive restructuring proved unsuccessful, with inexperienced players Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven struggling against Brighton's pressure. Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler noted that "The longer the game went, the more we had control. I thought we deserved to win." The loss extends United's recent troubles: the team lost to Manchester City on Sunday and academy player JJ Gabriel announced his intention to leave the club this week. United must face Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday in an attempt to reverse their poor form.