Three winners and losers for Manchester United vs Brighton including Hannibal

There was precious little for Manchester United to savour in their 3-1 defeat against Brighton.

Returning from the season's first international break, United were gunned down at Old Trafford by Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross and substitute Joao Pedro. Academy graduate Hannibal Mejbri scored his first senior goal for United in reply, but even that was not enough to lift the mood in the stands.

Erik ten Hag and his players are languishing in 13th position after picking up only six points from a possible 15, so far, this season. Here are three winners and losers from the Brighton game.

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Diogo Dalot: A surprise inclusion in the starting XI given how well Aaron Wan-Bissaka has fared this season. Dalot was tasked with shackling the vibrant Kaoru Mitoma in a new-look formation and did so for the most part. Mitoma had a limited impact on the match as his attacking colleagues thrived.

Hannibal Mejbri: You have to spare a thought for the youngster. Hannibal would have, no doubt, been dreaming for years and years about how he might open his United account. Scant consolation in a dismal defeat at home to Brighton would not have been top of his list exactly, but his 73rd-minute strike was still an important milestone for his career and the Academy graduate must take heart from that moment.

Rasmus Hojlund: Hojlund was denied his first United goal by the barest margin and a VAR check. Had that would-be equaliser been allowed, things could have played out differently. Ifs, buts and maybes. The frontman does seem to be a find, though, based on two early appearances.

Manchester United are back in