LONDON: Manchester United’s crisis deepened on Saturday as they slumped to a 3-1 home defeat against Brighton, while Manchester City beat West Ham to stay perfect on a day of heart-stopping drama in the Premier League. Liverpool had a brief taste of life at the top, beating Wolves 3-1 in the early kick-off before City took pole position. In-form Tottenham scored two goals in stoppage-time to beat Sheffield United 2-1. The season is spiralling out of control for Erik ten Hag’s United, who started the campaign in buoyant mood after ending their trophy drought and finishing third in the league last season. Some fans dreamed of a long-overdue title challenge but instead they find themselves trailing leaders City by nine points after a third chastening defeat in five matches. United started brightly at Old Trafford, desperate to put their nightmare start to the season behind them but their former forward Danny Welbeck silenced the home fans in the 20th minute. A 53rd-minute goal by Pascal Gross gave United a mountain to climb and substitute Joao Pedro made it 3-0, with Hannibal Mejbri’s first United goal little consolation for the shell-shocked hosts. Brighton’s fourth straight league win against United lifted them to third in the table. A disappointed Ten Hag said it was a game of “small margins.” “We conceded a goal with their first attack,” he told Sky Sports. “We then had a period in the game that was quite difficult, we fought to get a goal and it was disallowed. “So, it is difficult in this period.
