With no decisions made on a longer-term interim manager (or a permanent one), Darren Fletcher will lead Manchester United out against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford in the third round of the FA Cup as both teams look to get a deep cup run going in 2026.
Man United have faced Brighton in six previous FA Cup ties and have won them all, most recently in the 2023 semifinals, prevailing 7-6 on penalties after a goalless draw. In the league, though, Brighton have won three of their last four visits to Old Trafford (the lone loss came this season, a 4-2 reverse) and that makes for an intriguing fixture.
Here’s everything you need to know about the match:
How to watch
The match will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 in the UK, ESPN+ in the U.S., SonyLIV in India and Stan Sport in Australia. You can also follow ESPN’s live updates.
Key Details
Kick-off time: Sunday, Jan. 11 at 4.30 p.m. GMT (11.30 a.m. ET; 10 p.m. IST and 3.30 a.m. AEDT)
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
Referee: Simon Hooper
VAR: Not available in this round
Injury and Team News
Manchester United
Amad Diallo, D/M, OUT – AFCON
Noussair Mazraoui, D, OUT – AFCON
Bryan Mbeumo, F, OUT – AFCON
Harry Maguire, D, DOUBT – knock
Matthijs de Ligt, D, DOUBT – knock
Brighton and Hove Albion
Carlos Baleba, M, OUT – AFCON
Yankuba Minteh, M, DOUBT – thigh
Adam Webster, D, OUT – knee
Mats Wieffer, D, OUT – toe
Solly March, M, OUT – knee
Stefanos Tzimas, F, OUT – knee
Talking Points
The striker is back in tactical focus at United
The biggest difference between Ruben Amorim’s United and Darren Fletcher’s United is, of course, the formation — a 4-2-3-1 instead of the now infamous 3-4-2-1. The change has helped give United balance and put players in positions they looked much more comfortable in. The biggest upshot of the changed tactics, though, was that attacking moves were designed to fall to the feet of the centre forward. With play flowing through a more advanced Bruno Fernandes (in the No. 10 role), Benjamin Sesko was fed repeatedly on the night, and his eight shots (the most he’s had in a United shirt) eventually resulted in the 22-year-old scoring a brace.
(Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)
An instructive stat showcases the essential difference in the United side now — as per Opta, both of Sesko’s goals against Burnley came from moves with 10-plus passes in the build-up (16 for the first goal, 13 for the second). That was as many goals from moves involving 10-plus passes as Manchester United managed in the Premier League under Ruben Amorim (two out of 66 goals). Already, they look less dependent on long balls and quick transitions, and it’s the much maligned No. 9s of United who will benefit most from it.
Brighton will be a test of Fletcher’s tactical nous
United’s 30 shots at goal against a Burnley team happy to sit back and soak up the pressure at Turf Moor was the most United have had in a Premier League game in a decade, but Brighton will provide a wholly different proposition. Brighton will test this new-look United’s ability to play out of the press in a way Burnley didn’t, just as Brighton did to Manchester City at the Etihad in the midweek. Brighton troubled Pep Guardiola’s men no end with their press, while also showing an ability to soak up pressure that could trouble the best of teams.
Fabian Hürzeler will relish the prospect of pitting his well-coached outfit against a side that’s had just a few days with their new coach. From United’s perspective, it’ll be interesting to see if Fletcher gives Kobbie Mainoo a start, considering his superior ball-playing ability to Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro, which may be pivotal in breaking through the high press.
Mitoma elevates the Brighton team
What the City game also underlined was just how crucial an in-form Kaoru Mitoma is for Brighton. It wasn’t just his finish — impeccably taken, giving Gianluigi Donnarumma no chance — but also his presence on the left that kept City on their toes. His direct dribbling is a key weapon for Hürzeler breaking down teams, as is his underrated passing ability. His potential link-up with United old boy Danny Welbeck could well be key.
After the City game, the Brighton coach said of his star player: “We all know that he can make the difference in the game, that he can be a gamechanger. He’s still not at 100%, but we need to push him to 100%.”
Is the “United DNA” back?
That most amorphous intangible, a lack of “United DNA” was perceived by many as a big failing of the Amorim regime, and while hard to define, you could sense how Fletcher attempted a course correction at Turf Moor. Playing with Patrick Dorgu on the left allowed the team to have a traditional winger who pings crosses in, while picking a back four meant there were more attack-minded players on the pitch than usual.
The strongest sign, though, came via the substitutions. When youngster Shea Lacey came on for Ugarte, United played with essentially one central midfielder in Mainoo– who is himself a less defensive presence — and packed the pitch with attacking players attempting to force the win in an ersatz version of Sir Alex Ferguson’s teams. Of course, the win didn’t come, but the intent was evident.
Cup run important for both teams
Neither team are in the best of form. Brighton have won just two of their last 11 games across all competitions, while United’s see-sawing season has already seen their coach fired. With their league form so topsy-turvy, both clubs will look to a big cup run to get the most out of this season. After their exits in the EFL Cup (United in the second round, Brighton in the fourth), the FA Cup is their one chance to do that — and that might see both teams come racing out of the blocks on Sunday.