The lowest Man United have been since World War I

Manchester United’s turbulent season sank to a new low on Sunday night as Brighton & Hove Albion dumped them out of the FA Cup at Old Trafford, condemning the club to a statistic not seen in more than a century.

Danny Welbeck, once of United, was the chief tormentor, striking against his former side in a performance that summed up the hosts’ misery. Matters worsened late on when young academy prospect Shea Lacey was dismissed, leaving United to finish the tie with ten men.

Man Utd's new low: Welbeck's stunner kills Fletcher's coaching career even before it started

The defeat is expected to mark the final match of Darren Fletcher’s interim spell in the dugout. United had hoped to lean on their recent FA Cup pedigree against Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton, having reached two of the last three finals and lifting the trophy in the 2023–24 season, but those memories offered little comfort on this occasion.

Behind the scenes, the club continues to weigh up its next short-term appointment, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick both under consideration as caretaker options following Ruben Amorim’s departure. Yet whoever takes over will inherit a campaign already stripped of domestic cup football, with United eliminated from both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle.

The loss to Brighton extended United’s winless run across all competitions to four matches and confirmed an unwanted historical milestone. With only league fixtures remaining, the 20-time English champions can now play a maximum of 40 games this season — their lightest schedule since the 1914–15 campaign, when they played just 39.

To put that into perspective, United were involved in 60 matches last term, balancing a Europa League final run with deep cup progress and a full Premier League schedule. Attention now turns to the Premier League and a looming Manchester derby against City on Saturday, 17 January, which is likely to be the first assignment for the new caretaker.

Despite their cup exits, United’s league ambitions remain alive. They sit seventh in the table, only three points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool, leaving Champions League qualification firmly within reach as the season enters a decisive phase.

FA CUP - ROUND 3

Sunday

Derby - Leeds 1-3 (1-0)

/Brereton Diaz 35 - Gnonto 55, Tanaka 59, Justin 90+3/

Portsmouth - Arsenal 1-4 (1-2)

/Bishop 3 - Dozzell 8 og, Martinelli 25,51, 72/

Hull - Blackburn 4-3 on pen (0-0)

Norwich - Walsall 5-1 (2-0)

/Jurasek 15, Makama 24, 48,55, Springett 90+2 - Clarke 67/

Sheffield Utd - Mansfield 3-4 (1-2)

/Hamer 20, Bamford 61, Moriah-Welsh 65 og - Reed 13,44, Akins 50, Oates 57/

Swansea - WBA 5-6 on pen (0-0)

/Eom 48, Inoussa 112 - Maja 53, Wallace 108/

West Ham - QPR 2-1 a.e.t (1-0)

/Summerville 45+10, Castellanos 98 - Kone 65/

Manchester United - Brighton 1-2 (0-1)

/Sesko 85 - Gruda 12, Welbeck 64/

Monday

22.45: (1.13) Liverpool (9.00) Barnsley (17.0)

***odds are subject to change***