Manchester United crashed out of the English League Cup on Wednesday after turning an early two-goal advantage into a 3-2 home defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion.
United appeared to be in control at Old Trafford when teenager Shea Lacey scored in the eighth minute and Mason Mount added a second two minutes later. Brighton changed the direction of the tie before halftime, however, when Charalampos Kostoulas cut the deficit.
Pascal Gross equalized in the 65th minute before Maxim De Cuyper completed Brighton’s comeback four minutes later. The result sent Brighton into the last 16 and brought boos from sections of the home crowd at the final whistle.
The defeat adds pressure to a United side that has made a difficult start to the domestic season. Manager Michael Carrick accepted responsibility for the way the game slipped away, saying the team could not accept its second-half performance.
The collapse was particularly notable because United had not lost a home match after holding a two-goal lead for roughly half a century. For Brighton, the comeback provides another major cup result at Old Trafford and keeps their League Cup campaign alive.
Sources: Reuters and Associated Press reporting, Sept. 16, 2026.
