João Pedro secured a dramatic 95th-minute winner for Brighton, preserving their perfect start to the season and handing Manchester United a painful defeat.
United thought they had clinched the victory when Alejandro Garnacho tucked in Bruno Fernandes’ low cross with 18 minutes left. However, VAR ruled out the goal for offside after the ball brushed substitute Joshua Zirkzee just before crossing the line.
This opened the door for Pedro to seize the moment, as he headed in Simon Adingra’s cross at the far post, giving Fabian Hürzeler a dream start as Brighton manager. Former United striker Danny Welbeck had earlier put Brighton ahead with his fifth Premier League goal against his former club, and he nearly doubled the lead when his header struck the crossbar in the second half.
Although Amad Diallo equalized for United on the hour mark, and despite Garnacho’s disallowed goal, United’s best attempts came from long-range efforts by Scott McTominay and Casemiro, neither of which troubled the Brighton goal. The final whistle sparked celebrations at the Amex Stadium, with Hürzeler visibly overjoyed and Billy Gilmour, linked with a move to Napoli, earning Man of the Match honors to the delight of the home fans.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland’s hat-trick powered Manchester City to a dominant victory over Ipswich Town at the Etihad Stadium, offering the newly-promoted side a harsh introduction to Premier League life. Ipswich, back in the top flight after 22 years, had a promising start when Sammie Szmodics scored on his full debut, slipping a shot through Ederson’s legs after just seven minutes.
However, their joy was short-lived as City responded with three goals in just four minutes. Haaland equalized from the penalty spot after a VAR review overturned the initial decision of a dive by Savinho. Kevin De Bruyne then took advantage of a mix-up by Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric to make it 2-1 before Haaland added his second, rounding Muric to score City’s third by the 16th minute.
City could have extended their lead further, hitting the woodwork twice, while Ipswich had a strong penalty appeal turned down when Leif Davis was brought down by Savinho inside the box. The second half saw a warm reception for Ilkay Gündogan, who returned to City on a one-year deal from Barcelona, as he made his first appearance since rejoining the club.
Just when Ipswich thought they might limit the damage, Haaland completed his hat-trick with a late long-range strike, sealing a comfortable win for City. The victory means City have a 100% record from their two games, while Ipswich are still searching for their first points after a challenging start to their Premier League campaign.
