Manchester United vs Brighton LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Ronaldo ends goal drought

Manchester United have dropped 13 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season. They have never dropped more than 14 in an entire season in the competition.

But, they have lost only once in 12 Premier League matches since the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - against Wolves on 3rd January.

Victor Lindelof hasn’t featured for Manchester United in close to a month and is being thrust into the starting line-up at the last minute. He and Harry Maguire have played alongside each other on numerous occasions but it will be interesting to see how Lindelof gets on this evening.

This is Cristiano Ronaldo’s longest barren spell in front of goal in 13 years. That it currently stands at just six games demonstrates what a truly extraordinary player he has been over that period – a goalscorer almost beyond comparison in the modern game – but there were times at Old Trafford on Saturday that when you wondered if this is more than a dry patch.

“Of course he would have wished to score, I would have wished him to score,” Ralf Rangnick, the United manager, said after yet another Ronaldo blank and yet another occasion when Manchester United had thrown away a lead. “Today he had his chances, one of the biggest was when he went past the goalkeeper but it was cleared off the line.”

Rangnick was referring to Ronaldo’s best and only genuine sight of goal in the 1-1 draw with Southampton. A screencap ripped from the live match footage was shared on social media at full time. It shows Ronaldo with the ball at his feet. Fraser Forster and two backpedalling defenders are behind him. Ahead of him is an open goal, just out of the frame.

Rafael Varane has been replaced by Victor Lindelof in United’s starting line-up after pulling out of the match due to illness.

Cristiano Ronaldo has gone six club appearances without a goal in all competitions for the first time since a run of seven from December 2008 to January 2009 during his first spell at United.

Brighton are unbeaten in seven Premier League matches for the first time with three wins and four draws in that run. Their only longer top-flight run without defeat was eight games from October to November 1981.

They have also lost just once in 12 away fixtures this season - no side has lost fewer.

Manchester United have failed to win back-to-back league matches in which they led at half time for the first time since December 1998 following the two draws with Burnley and Southampton.

Their average of 1.4 goals per Premier League game under Ralf Rangnick is their lowest under any manager.

Manchester United manager, Ralf Rangnick, believes his players are taking on his ideas but need to improve their mentality in games to ensure they are on the winning side.

United have dropped four points from their last two Premier League games after taking the lead against both Burnley and Southampton and Rangnick wants them to raise their levels in these types of situations. He said:

Tonight’s match marks Graham Potter’s 100th game in charge of Brighton and he’s honoured to have been given the opportunity to reach the landmark.

At a press conference yesterday Potter said:

Brighton have never won away against Manchester United in 13 attempts in all competitions, drawing two games and losing 11.

The Seagulls have taken just one point from a possible 24 in the top flight at Old Trafford and Manchester United have won the last five Premier League meetings after losing two of the first three.