Brighton and Hove Albion welcome Manchester United to the American Express Stadium on Sunday looking to confirm their place in European football next season.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side, currently seventh, have enjoyed a splendid campaign and can still book a spot in either the Europa League or the Conference League, depending on how results pan out elsewhere on the final day.
Can Welbeck haunt his old club again?
Central to that success has been the form of ex-United striker Danny Welbeck, who will make his 400th Premier League appearance if he features against his old club – the 46th player to reach that milestone.
A six-year spell in the first team at Old Trafford for the Manchester-born forward accounted for 92 of those, and he enjoys playing against his former employers more than anyone else.
Against no club has Welbeck scored more goals in all competitions than he has against United (eight). He played more games (36) and scored more goals (13) this term than in another season of his laudable top-flight career.
As they come tantalisingly close to realising another European dream – their only previous experience on the continent was a run the Europa League last 16 in 2023-24 – the Seagulls will be reassured to know they have an excellent record against United.
In fact, Brighton have the highest win rate against United of any side in Premier League history both overall (47%) and at home (63%). None of those 17 meetings have ended in a draw.
The table shows how Brighton have the best Premier League win rate against Manchester United (47.1%) of any club in the competition’s history.
United back in the big time
Unlike their opponents, Manchester United have already guaranteed themselves a return to European football next season. Michael Carrick’s side have sealed Champions League qualification after a two-year absence and will finish third regardless of Sunday’s result.
The Red Devils’ turnaround under their former midfielder is well-documented. Carrick, who has signed new contract running until 2028, has the best points-per-game (PPG) average of any manager in the division this season (2.25).
Indeed, it is the best PPG by any United manager in a league season since Sir Alex Ferguson’s final campaign in 2012-13 (2.34), when Carrick made a career-high 36 top-flight appearances.
Michael Carrick has managed Manchester United in 16 Premier League games, achieving a points-per-game (PPG) average of 2.25, giving him the best PPG record since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club at the end of the 2012-13 season.
Having teed up Bryan Mbeumo against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, the pressure is off Bruno Fernandes in his pursuit of the record for most assists in a Premier League campaign.
Fernandes moved level with Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne on 20, but don’t bet against the Portuguese playmaker linking up with his Cameroonian colleague again.
Against no side has Mbeumo been involved in more Premier League goals than he has against Brighton (five goals, three assists), with all eight coming in his last five starts against the Seagulls.
He scored two in the reverse fixture, a 4-2 win at Old Trafford in October, meaning United are looking to complete a league double over Brighton for the first time since 2020-21.
Despite boasting an excellent record at the tail end of the season – only Arsenal have won more games on the final day than United’s 23 – it’s far from a formality.
United have lost six of their last eight league matches against the Seagulls, in addition to being dumped out of the FA Cup by Hurzeler’s charges at the third round stage in January.