LONDON —
Only two games into the season, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is once again under fire.
Joao Pedro headed home a solo effort in the fifth minute of added time to give Brighton a 2-1 win over visiting United in the Premier League on Saturday, a game that showed the inconsistencies that have been the hallmark of Ten Hag’s side have yet to fade.
After United’s defence made a poor response to clear a corner, Pedro headed in Simon Adingra’s cross to secure Brighton’s second straight win at the start of the season under new manager Fabian Hurzeler.
The two main title contenders also have two wins in as many games after two convincing displays.
Erling Haaland ensured defending champions Manchester City drew level with Brighton on six points by scoring his seventh career Premier League hat-trick en route to a 4-1 win over promoted Ipswich.
Arsenal, meanwhile, managed to pull out a 2-0 win at Aston Villa — a team they lost to twice last season, missing out on the title by just two points to City.
Sean Dyche is another manager in trouble at the start of the season after his Everton side succumbed 4-0 at Tottenham.
Also on Saturday, West Ham won 2-0 away to Crystal Palace, Fulham won 2-1 at home to Leicester and Nottingham Forest won 1-0 at Southampton. Aston Villa hosted Arsenal to close out the Saturday matchday.
For United, it is a very hard result to take. The visitors had screamed the potential winner in the 70th minute only for it to be ruled out for a comical offside position.
Argentine Alejandro Garnacho’s shot from the left looked to be heading for an open goal but deflected off the knee of a sliding Joshua Zirkzee before crossing the line. The move led to the goal being ruled out as the Dutchman was offside.
“We thought we had scored the winner and it was just unfortunate that the ball was on the line,” lamented Dutchman Ten Hag, who teetered on the edge of the net all last season but was eventually confirmed in charge after leading them to the FA Cup title.
The debate over whether he is the right manager to lead United will rage after a game marked by wasted chances and defensive sloppiness.
“You can’t give away points so unnecessarily,” said Ten Hag. “If we defend like that, you lose points. We have to improve in certain situations.”
Zirkzee came off the bench to score United’s 87th-minute winner over Fulham in the opening game.
A former United man opened the scoring for the hosts on Saturday afternoon, Danny Welbeck tapping in Kaoru Mitoma’s cross in the 32nd.
Amad Diallo scored United’s goal in the 60th minute. The Ivorian cut in from the right and his shot deflected off Jan Paul van Hecke before reaching the net.
For a brief moment, Ipswich looked capable of pulling off a surprise when Sammie Szmodics put them ahead at the Etihad.
But a flurry of three goals in less than four minutes by the hosts put things back on track.
Haaland scored two of those goals, including the penalty to equalise in the 12th minute and then made it 3-1 in the 16th after receiving a perfect pass from Kevin De Bruyne and dribbling past goalkeeper Arijanet Muric. De Bruyne scored the second goal in the 14th.
The Norwegian striker completed his hat-trick with a shot from outside the area in the 88th. He has four in two games, having scored the first in a 2-0 win over Chelsea last weekend.
Unai Emery was largely responsible for his former club failing to win last season’s championship, especially when Villa won 2-0 at Arsenal in the closing stages.
But his counterpart Mikel Arteta got even. Arteta brought on Leandro Trossard in the 65th and the winger scored by connecting with the first ball he touched a couple of minutes later after Bukayo Saka’s cross fell to his feet. Saka set up Thomas Partey for the second goal in the 77th.
