A spot in the FA Cup fourth round will be on the line when Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion lock horns at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The FA Cup third round will continue on Sunday with eight matches. The action on the day will start with the game between Derby County and Leeds United before ending with Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s post-Ruben Amorim era began in familiar fashion, as they came from a goal down before squandering a narrow lead to play a 2-2 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor earlier this week. However, the Red Devils showed a lot of promise on both ends, and Darren Fletcher has had some positive effect on the squad.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion have taken positive steps in the early days of the year, beating Burnley last weekend before holding Manchester City to a 1-1 draw earlier this week. The Seagulls are now on a three-match unbeaten run, and Fabian Hurzeler will hope his charges continue building momentum.
Manchester United and Brighton have already clashed once this season, with the Red Devils clinching a 4-2 win in the Premier League match at Old Trafford in October. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Darren Fletcher has no new issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Manchester United’s caretaker boss will be bereft of the services of four first-team players vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
Matthijs de Ligt is the only player in the treatment room as he continues his recovery from a lower back injury. Meanwhile, Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco) and Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) are still at the Africa Cup of Nations. However, Mazraoui’s Morocco knocked Bryan Mbeumo’s Cameroon out of the continental event, although the latter will not return in time for the FA Cup clash.
Altay Bayindir will replace Senne Lammens between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. The backline will feature Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, and Patrick Dorgu.
As for the midfield unit, Kobbie Mainoo should line up alongside Manuel Ugarte in the double pivot. Mason Mount will reprise the no.10 role, with Shea Lacey and Matheus Cunha being the two wide attackers. Finally, Joshua Zirkzee will lead the line for Manchester United against Brighton. So, Bruno Fernandes, Benjamin Sesko, and Casemiro will be backup options on the bench for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bayindir; Dalot, Yoro, Heaven, Dorgu; Mainoo, Ugarte; Lacey, Mount, Cunha; Zirkzee
Brighton & Hove Albion
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Fabian Hurzeler has received positive updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager may be without only five first-team players on Sunday.
Joel Veltman and Charalampos Kostoulas are fit and available to take on Manchester United, while Yankuba Minteh (dead leg) is closing in on returning. However, Adam Webster (knee), Mats Wieffer (toe), Solly March (knee), and Stefanos Tzimas (knee) remain in the treatment room. Meanwhile, like Bryan Mbeumo, Carlos Baleba will not return in time for this weekend’s FA Cup tie.
Jason Steele will replace Bart Verbruggen between the sticks, with Brighton & Hove Albion lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Sunday. The backline will feature Joel Veltman, Diego Coppola, Olivier Boscagli, and Maxime De Cuyper.
As for the midfield unit, James Milner should pair up with Pascal Gross in the double pivot. Brajan Gruda will reprise the no.10 role, with Diego Gomez and Tom Watson being the two wide attackers. Finally, Danny Welbeck will spearhead the Brighton attack against Manchester United. So, Kaoru Mitoma, Georginio Rutter, and Ferdi Kadioglu will be among the backup options on the bench for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Steele; Veltman, Coppola, Boscagli, De Cuyper; Milner, Gross; Watson, Gruda, Gomez; Welbeck
Key Stats
- Manchester United have faced Brighton & Hove Albion in six previous FA Cup ties, and they have been victorious in all six, most recently in the 2022/23 semi-final, winning 7-6 on penalties after a goalless draw.
- Brighton & Hove Albion’s six eliminations from the FA Cup vs Manchester United is the most times they have ever been knocked out by one club. However, the Seagulls have won three of their last four visits to Old Trafford, all in the Premier League. However, they lost 4-2 there earlier this season.
- Manchester United have been knocked out in the FA Cup third round in only two of their 40 most recent ties at this stage, losing 1-0 to Leeds United in 2009/10 and 2-1 to Swansea City in 2013/14.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have progressed from 14 of their last 16 FA Cup third-round ties, the exceptions being against Hull City in 2015/16 and Sheffield Wednesday in 2019/20, both 1-0 defeats.
- Manchester United are yet to win a game in 2026, and they come into this game on the back of three successive stalemates, the first time they have played three consecutive draws since December 2018
Player to Watch
Matheus Cunha
While Kobbie Mainoo, Danny Welbeck, and Pascal Gross were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Matheus Cunha as the Player to Watch for Sunday’s Premier League clash between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford.
The Brazilian international is one of Manchester United’s most in-form players, and he has been a top performer in the FA Cup in recent seasons. Cunha has scored in his last four FA Cup outings, all for Wolverhampton Wanderers between January 2024 and March 2025.
Only four Premier League players have scored in five successive FA Cup appearances since the 1992/93 season: Marc Overmars (1998-1999), Darren Bent (2012-2014), Wayne Rooney (2011-2013) and Romelu Lukaku (2014-2016 and 2017-2018). Cunha will aim to join that elusive list and guide Manchester United back to winning ways this weekend.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion have had the measure of Manchester United in recent meetings, particularly at Old Trafford. However, the Red Devils blew their visitors away when they hosted Brighton earlier this year. With the Seagulls showing a soft underbelly throughout the 2025/26 season, that vulnerability will aid the home side’s cause.
Manchester United showed many promising signs, and the youngsters will be eager to make their mark this weekend. Additionally, the hosts will have a stacked bench, giving them the edge as the minutes wear on. So, while Brighton will exploit Manchester United’s shortcomings at the back, they will fall short of a victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Darren Fletcher and his charges.
