I’ll leave you with a match report from the Amex. Bye!

“Did the referee blow his whistle before the penalty check?” says Ruth Purdue. “What are the rules on that?”

I’m pretty sure he did, but I think the game can restart in the event of a VAR check. There was a game in 2018 when some of the players were in the dressing-room when a penalty was awarded. I’ll be honest, though, I haven’t a clue.

I’ve just watched the build-up to United’s winner again. It’s hard to be sure without a slow-motion replay, but it looks like the ball was out of play before van de Beek won the corner.

Bruno Fernandes speaks “It was a difficult game. We know Brighton are a really good team and in the first half we gave them too much space to play. We were not as aggressive as I want. We gave away two goals – I can do much better for the penalty, I need to stop early. The point is to score goals, not hit the crossbar or post. It sometimes happens to us as well. We can do much better, especially on the goals we conceded.”

One thing I’d like to see is whether van de Beek kept the ball in before the corner that eventually led to the goal.

It was a stunning penalty, rifled into the top-right corner.

90+10 min Bruno Fernandes will take the penalty. We’re in the tenth of the five added minutes.

90+9 min What on earth was Maupay doing?

90+9 min: PENALTY TO UNITED!

90+8 min: This will be a penalty. Maguire’s header hit the raised arm of Maupay. It was then headed off the line by March and the final whistle went. This is extraordinary.

90+7 min Maguire’s header is cleared off the line by March - but they are checking for handball and there’s a bit of a ruck. The final whistle has gone but I think we’re going to have a United penalty!

90+7 min United win a corner on the left.

It’s a thoroughly deserved equaliser for Brighton. Jahanbakhsh curled over a beautiful cross from the right that beat everyone at the near post and bounced up towards March, who headed in from close range. He was completely unmarked, having run away from Bruno Fernandes (I think).

90+3 min: Vital save from de Gea! Trossard should have equalised. Brighton kept the ball alive from that Gross corner, and eventually Alzate forced it through to Trossard on the six-yard line. He turned smartly but then poked the ball straight at de Gea, who saved with his legs.

90+2 min Gross’s corner is poor and Shaw heads it away at the near post.

90+2 min March runs at Wan-Bissaka, who stretches to concede the corner...

90 min Five minutes of added time.

90 min Donny van de Beek comes on for United in place of Anthony Martial, who looked a bit livelier without being anywhere near his best.

89 min “Imagine that!” says Mary Waltz. “United parking the bus against mighty, mighty Brighton. It’s 2020, the world’s turned upside down.”

88 min The corner is headed over his own bar by Martial. The referee gives a goalkick.

87 min Jahanbakhsh wins a corner for Brighton, who are pushing hard for an equaliser. It’ll be a travesty if they lose this game.

85 min After some lovely interplay on the right, White’s deep cross is volleyed over by March at the far post. He was only six yards out and that was another good chance.

83 min Mason Greenwood is replaced by Eric Bailly, which means United will switch to a back three for the last seven minutes.

83 min Dunk is booked for a foul on Rashford.

80 min Lamptey’s cross hits the head of Lindelof and reaches March beyond the far post. His shot is deflected over the bar by the sliding Wan-Bissaka, a very important intervention.

79 min Brighton are really on top now.

76 min: Trossard hits the bar! This is ridiculous. He’s hit the woodwork three times, Brighton have hit it five times. Jahanbakhsh clipped a lovely crossfield pass to find him in space in the inside-left channel. An immaculate first touch set him up to blast a left-footed shot that beat de Gea for pace and thumped off the bar.

76 min Fernandes has had a fairly quiet game, yet he has still made both goals. He is so important to this team.

75 min Fernandes’ free-kick is only half cleared to Martial, whose shot is blocked by White. Rashford then has another effort blocked.

74 min A double change for Brighton: Pascal Gross and Alireza Jahanbakhsh replace Connolly and Lallana.

74 min White is booked for a foul on Luke Shaw.

71 min White makes a vital tackle on Martial in the area. Fernandes’ beautiful pass put Martial through, and he was about to shoot when White appeared to poke the ball away.

68 min Maupay does very well to win the ball on the edge of the United area, fight his way past a couple of players and manufacture a shot that is comfortably saved by de Gea.

65 min A Manchester United change: Fred replaces Paul Pogba, who didn’t have a great game.

63 min Trossard finds March in space on the left edge of the area. He beats Greenwood with ease and hammers a cross that is cleared at the near post by Lindelof. Brighton still look very dangerous.

62 min United break dangerously, only for Martial to play a poor pass to Shaw in the area. They’ve been a lot better in the second half.

61 min “Connolly is a fine player and has put my heart in my throat multiple times today, but how has he not been booked for diving yet?” says Matthew Richman. “That last one ahead of Maguire was especially egregious.”

60 min The scoreline is so harsh on Brighton. It’s even harsher now: March has hit the post! That’s the fourth time they’ve hit the woodwork. Brighton worked the ball beautifully from right to left, with Maupay eventually finding March in space on the left side of the area. He dragged a low shot across goal that beat de Gea and bounced off the inside of the post.

60 min “Poor Ben White,” says Mary Waltz. “Rashford made him look like a puppet on a string. Wonderful.”

59 min “Surely Henrik Larsson was United’s last successful panic signing?” says Nick Parish. “Didn’t stay long but had a huge impact. Is he still playing?”

Henrik Larsson was a glorious footballer but I never understood all the excitement about his time at United. He was fine but he didn’t really do much, and he kept Saha (who had been instrumental in United’s rebirth that season) out of the side.

58 min Connolly goes over again in the area, this time after a challenge from behind by Maguire. Chris Kavanagh says no penalty and VAR agrees. There was a slight shove from Maguire but not enough for a foul.

That was such a cool finish. Fernandes put him clear in the inside-left channel with a lovely pass. Rashford cut into the area, dummied to shoot and beat White. Then he ran past the covering Dunk, dummied to shoot again and twisted away from White a second time. Finally he battered a left-footed shot that hit the lunging Dunk and flew into the net. It was on target so it’s Rashford’s goal.

54 min United’s tempo has been much better since half-time, which suggests they received an appreciable brollocking from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

53 min VAR’s having a blinder.

51 min I don’t know what to make of that. I don’t think it would have been overturned last season, so VAR is improving.

NO PENALTY Connolly stepped across Pogba and went over. I don’t think it was a foul, and Chris Kavanagh has reversed his decision.

VAR pending The referee has gone across to look at the pitchside monitor, so maybe it will be overturned.

47 min: PENALTY TO BRIGHTON! Connolly went over after a clumsy challenge from Pogba, who has been booked. It’s pretty soft - Pogba didn’t do much wrong as Connolly stepped across him - but I’m not sure it will be overturned.

46 min Peep peep! Brighton begin the second half.

“Maguire really should score more goals considering how often he wins the ball at set pieces in the opposition box,” says David Wall. “You’d think that would be the difficult part especially as he so often gets a clean contact. He has the potential to be as prolific as Steve Bruce used to be (aside from the penalties) if he worked on his finishing more.”

Yep, agreed, although at the moment his biggest concern is the day job.

“They lost the first two in 1992-93 as well, a season that picked up somewhat,” says Robert Hanley. “Cantona arrived soon after, the last successful panic signing at United.”

Of course they did, FFS. 1986-87 was the last time they lost the first three.

Half-time reading

Fans or no fans, this will be a belter.

“Hi Rob,” says Wayne Farrell. “the problem with Man Utd is that all their best players are in really bad form, Rashford, Martial, Fernandez, Maguire, Pogba. Although it’s debatable if Pogba is one of Man Utd’s best players cause in my opinion since he’s been moved deeper he has no impact on games at all, a complete passenger, a 5 or 6 every game which for an £89m player is farcical.

“I think the fact that so many players are in bad form is the responsibility of the coaching team. Motivation and confidence comes from them. The team seem to be strangers together, really remind of the England team in most international tournaments (expect 2018 WC).”

What is hard to reconcile is that the same players looked so good in June and July. The key is Fernandes; he’s the rug that really ties the room together. He needs more creative support, which is why I’d play van de Beek alongside Matic.

45 min Matic’s long-range shot is patted down by Ryan.

The goal came from a free-kick just outside the area on the left wing. Fernandees absolutely hammered it towards the far post, where Matic did well to push the ball back into the middle from the byline. Maguire and Dunk challenged for it on the six-yard line and it ended up in the net. It looks like an own goal.

42 min The last time United lost their first two league games was in 1986-87, Ron Atkinson’s last season as manager.

41 min Matic is booked for a hand-off into Connolly’s face.

That was a delicious bit of arrogance. He kissed the ball softly down the middle as de Gea dived to his left.

Lamptey cut across Fernandes and brushed his leg. He knew what he was doing but it’s still a penalty. It all stemmed from a mistake by Wan-Bissaka, who was harassed into losing the ball by March.

PENALTY TO BRIGHTON! Bruno Fernandes has been penalised for a clumsy challenge on Lamptey. I don’t think this will be overturned.

37 min March plays an excellent pass to leave Connolly one against one with Maguire. Connolly is slightly indecisive, though, and Matic gets back to dispossess him. That was a chance.

36 min “United has too much quality to be playing this constipated brand of football,” says Mary Waltz.

It’s fascinating - and slightly alarming - how different they look from the team that hammered Brighton here in June. Especially as it’s the same starting XI.

34 min “Ok, I get that United’s squad isn’t exactly overflowing with top quality midfielders,” says Matt Dony. “And I get that he has had his moments while playing for Chelsea and United (generally a good few years ago), but Matic still being picked for what is ostensibly one of the top sides in the country seems perverse. Even Mourinho would be thinking twice by now.”

I think he’s been really good in the last few months. The bigger problem is Pogba, who is getting worse. He isn’t even a luxury player any more.

33 min: Greenwood has a goal disallowed for offside! It was a slick move involving Martial and Rashford, but replays showed Rashford was offside before he found Greenwood.

30 min: Webster hits the bar! That’s the third time Brighton have hit the woodwork. March’s free-kick was partially cleared by Maguire and came to Maupay on the right. He lofted a half-volley back into the middle, where Webster looped a header towards goal. de Gea backpedalled desperately and the ball bounced off the top of the bar. He might have got a touch, I’m not sure.

27 min “There is a reason why United have begun this season like this - lack of match fitness,” says Digvijay Yadav. “United have played a couple of games till now (due to rest after playing in Europe) while others have played 6-7. City were lucky in that they faced Wolves who were in the same boat. Of course, another signing will help but there are mitigating circumstances.”

While I take your point, and I think it’s a factor, they’re only one or two games behind everyone else aren’t they?

24 min Maupay wins a corner off Matic. Trossard’s inswinger is punched away unconvincingly by de Gea. Maupay heads the loose ball down to Connolly, who drags a volley well wide from 15 yards.

23 min United’s performance has been pedestrian at best.

22 min Bruno Fernandes is booked for a lunge at Maupay.

21 min: Trossard hits the other post! That was another excellent effort. Alzate played a lovely ball between the lines to find Trossard in space, 20 yards from goal. He got it onto his left foot and cracked a low shot across goal that brushed the outside of the far post.

19 min A wicked inswinging cross from Fernandes on the left just evades Martial and bounces a couple of yards wide of the far post.

18 min After a good move from Brighton, March’s low cross deflects off Lindelof and into the hands of a de Gea.

17 min Lamptey plays a loose pass that is picked up by Greenwood 20 yards from goal. He moves into the area but drives well wide from a tight angle.

13 min March’s lofted free-kick is headed away by Maguire.

13 min Lamptey goes on his first eye-catching run, charging infield before being fouled by Matic 35 yards from goal.

12 min Brighton look dangerous on the counter-attack. Connolly moves into space and finds Maupay, whose long-range shot is blocked by Lindelof.

10 min United haven’t made the greatest start, with some sloppy passing and a bit of lethargy. Brighton have been much more cohesive.

9 min: Trossard hits the post! That was a great effort. Alzate fed a nice pass into him on the edge of the area. He took a quick touch and then crashed a left-footed shot that beat de Gea and smacked the outside of the post.

7 min Brighton have settled into the game and are passing the ball around nicely. They’re a very likeable team.

5 min These teams meet again here on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup, although most of these players probably won’t be involved.

4 min Maupay wins the first corner of the game for Brighton. March takes it short to Lallana, whose cross is kicked away at the near post. I’m surprised March didn’t swing that in towards de Gea and allow the wind to take effect.

3 min A quiet start, nowt to report. United have had most of the ball.

2 min “Am so pleased Lallana recovered so promptly,” says Ian Copestake. “Felt bad for him seeing him go off on his debut. Mind you, he never recovered that quickly at Liverpool so not that I am so fickle as to change my opinion within one post but he is dead to me.”

1 min Peep peep! United kick off from right to left.

It’s a windy day down in Brighton. Both teams are ready - Brighton are wearing in their lovely new home kit, United their new red strip.

“You weren’t the only one expecting Lindelof to be dropped (rested?) today,” says Neil Carter. “He was deemed to be fatigued during the last round of internationals and looked awful last week. Maybe two games for Eric in a week is too much though he is a fragile. Anyway an improved but still disjointed performance expected today against a well organised Brighton so 1-1 my prediction.”

“I think you mean Ron Burgundy,” says Keith Geoghegan (and tens of others). “Not sure why Ron Jeremy would be on your mind.”

Ach, apologies, I’ve amended it now.

“Afternoon, Rob,” says Ian Copestake. “On the crisis front, it is kind of understandable now given that any team with title pretentions can’t lose more than one game thanks to City driving Liverpool to such heights. And even a draw is looking like the new loss.”

The 1-0 win is the new loss.

Pre-match reading

Adam Lallana replaces Yves Bissouma in the Brighton midfield, an attacking decision from Graham Potter. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has gone back to the XI that won 3-0 here in June. That’s a bit of a surprise; I thought Eric Bailly would replace Victor Lindelof.