Manchester United vs Brighton: Marcus Rashford’s solo goal sees Ole Gunnar Solskjaer equal league win record

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s 100 per cent start as caretaker manager of Manchester United stretches to seven games, thanks in the main to a sublime Marcus Rashford solo goal on his 150th club appearance.

A Paul Pogba penalty and Rashford’s virtuosic strike - lofted into the top corner from an acute angle - ultimately proved enough to overcome Chris Hughton’s hard-working Brighton and Hove Albion side, despite Pascal Gross responding deep into the second half.

Solskjaer has now equalled the longest Premier League winning start by a manager - winning six of his first six, like Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea in 2009 and Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in 2016 - though he will know there is still room for improvement.

Like in the win over Tottenham at Wembley last Sunday, United dropped off considerably in the final stages, as if feeling the effects of the cavalier style that Solskjaer has successfully introduced. Solskjaer himself has acknowledged his players could be fitter.

Yet the fact of the matter is that, for all the creases that still need to be ironed out, this was the sort of awkward afternoon that the United of only a few months ago, bereft of belief in their own abilities, would have drawn or quite easily lost.

Instead, Solskjaer picks up another three points and can point to a moment of brilliant self-expression as the crucial factor.

Before Old Trafford marked the 25th anniversary of Sir Matt Busby’s death with a well-observed minute’s applause, news of Luke Shaw falling ill during the warm-up filtered around the old ground. Diogo Dalot replaced him at left back with Matteo Darmian promoted to the substitutes’ bench.

United began on top but failed to fashion much in the way of clear-cut opportunities until Pogba’s penalty. Their only real opportunity to test Brighton goalkeeper David Button came when Ashley Young’s pull-back evaded all but Rashford in a crowded penalty area and his goal-bound strike forced Shane Duffy to clear off the line.

Seven minutes later, Pogba converted from the spot to put United ahead, though the way he won it was more impressive. By arcing the ball brilliantly round Gaetan Bong with his first touch, he invited the Cameroonian to chase and claw at him as he peeled away. A tangle of legs and shove in the back was enough to send Pogba crashing to the turf.

There were audible groans around Old Trafford as Pogba began his trademark stuttered run-up, which has failed to intimidate an opposition goalkeeper twice already this season. He duly cut it short, with just 10 steps rather than 28. Button went the correct way but did not dive early enough to avoid being beaten low to his left.

Brighton may have quickly pulled level had they taken advantage of a bright quarter-of-an-hour spell after the goal, when Glenn Murray twice fired wide of David de Gea’s left-hand post. Yet shortly before the interval, Rashford doubled United’s lead, crowning his landmark appearance with a splendid goal.

The goal’s quality was best captured by Gross’ reaction. The Brighton playmaker tried to stand Rashford up, only to be turned inside out and left to only watch as the ball flew into the far corner at a narrow angle. Gross turned back and looked down at the spot where he had been beaten, as if to ask: “How on earth has he scored from there?”

United could have made sure of victory in opening exchanges of the second half, especially when Jesse Lingard poked Rashford’s dipping cross-cum-shot wide of Button’s goal, but their failure to add a third allowed for Brighton to claw their way back in, with Gross atoning for his part in United’s second.

Gross positioned himself between Dalot and Phil Jones as Davy Propper’s cross hung menacingly over the penalty area. Jones, under pressure from substitute Florin Andone, could not turn quick enough to prevent Gross from turning the ball against the underside of the crossbar and over the goal-line. Out of nothing, Brighton had a route back in.

For the remainder, Rashford’s speed was no longer an outlet, Pogba’s influence waned and the visitors looked likeliest to score. Yet aside from a number of robust set-piece routines involving Duffy, De Gea was largely untroubled. Despite dropping off late on, United had once again done enough to maintain Solskjaer’s faultless start.