Four players showed how much Manchester United have improved under Erik ten Hag vs Brighton

Keeping a clean sheet against Brighton this season is something to take heart from; it’s something Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal have failed to do.

Manchester United’s achievement is made more impressive by several factors, including the fact that they kept the Seagulls out for 120 minutes. The personnel in United’s makeshift backline makes the feat even greater.

Erik ten Hag was without Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane for the clash, with the former out for the rest of the season. Varane is also set to be sidelined for a number of weeks.

READ MORE: Erik ten Hag praises three players in FA Cup semi-final win

Club captain Harry Maguire missed the FA Cup semi-final through suspension meaning David de Gea had in front of him two central defenders partnering each other for the first time in one of United’s biggest matches this season.

Both did excellently. Victor Lindelof showed why he is Sweden’s skipper with an assertive display which ended with him firing in the decisive kick in the penalty shootout. Luke Shaw has played at centre-back a number of times this season and continued his form in the position with a fine outing at Wembley.

The embryonic link between the pair showed a few cracks at certain points with Brighton breaking through the lines a number of times and a fit Evan Ferguson may have punished United if on the pitch.

But you can only play what is in front of you and United did that well enough to earn De Gea his 22nd clean sheet of the season. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been branded one of the best tacklers in the world by Leicester star James Maddison.

The right-back managed to foil Kaoru Mitoma for the duration of the contest - a feat hardly any defender has managed to do all season. On the