Manchester United travel to the Amex Stadium to face European hopefuls Brighton & Hove Albion in the final round of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
With little riding on this encounter from a standings perspective, Man Utd will be out to complete a strong end to the season after a goal-glutted 3-2 home win over Nottingham Forest cemented their third-place finish.
Riding on a five-game unbeaten league run (W4, D1), interim boss Michael Carrick looks set for a permanent contract at Old Trafford despite a recent confirmation delay.
It nevertheless feels inevitable after the 44-year-old steered the club back on track after Ruben Amorim’s disappointing tenure, guiding them to their first top-three finish since the 2022/23 season.
Although the Red Devils have nothing but pride left to play for on the final day, this showdown could determine the fate of Brighton’s pursuit of a second-ever European qualification.
Must-win affair
Conceding from the only shot on target they faced condemned Fabian Hurzeler’s side to a frustrating 1-0 loss at Leeds United last weekend, putting a dent in their top-seven hopes.
A lack of consistency has derailed Brighton’s European ambitions, with the Seagulls now alternating between victories and defeats across their last four league outings (W2, L2).
As a result, they head into the season finale sitting seventh in the standings, albeit only a point clear of ninth-placed Brentford, who will face Liverpool at Anfield.
Brighton must take three points here if they’re to lock down a top-seven finish irrespective of other results, and they can draw confidence from their impressive form in East Sussex.
Hurzeler’s men have won their last three home league games, beating the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool in the process, and they could make it four wins in a row for the first time in their top-flight history.
However, it’s worth noting that they’ve failed at the fourth hurdle six times already.
Icing on the cake
Finishing an outstanding second half of the season on a high note would be a fitting way for Man Utd to wrap up a campaign that once threatened to spiral into complete chaos under Amorim.
It would also be a perfect parting gift for veteran midfielder Casemiro, who bid farewell to Old Trafford last weekend, as the Brazilian superstar aims to sign off in style.
With only Arsenal (24) winning more final-day Premier League fixtures than Man Utd (23), it stands to reason that the visitors will head to the Amex full of confidence despite having little to play for.
Carrick’s side shouldn’t take anything for granted, though, especially after picking up just three victories from their last ten away league matches (D5, L2).
Still, after a remarkable 4-2 win in October’s reverse fixture, United will be keen to complete their first league double over Brighton since the 2020/21 season despite having won just one of their last four league visits to this venue.
Team News
In addition to long-term absentee Matthijs de Ligt, Man Utd will also be without standout striker Benjamin Sesko, with Carrick reluctant to risk the Slovenian goal-getter on the final day.
However, they remain the only missing players in the travelling squad.
Bryan Mbeumo remains the likeliest candidate to lead the line in Sesko’s absence, especially after ending an 11-game Premier League drought against Forest last time out.
Captain Bruno Fernandes, who set up the Cameroonian forward, equalled the record for most assists in a Premier League campaign, and he could, therefore, make history this weekend.
Interestingly, the exit-bound Casemiro profited from six of Fernandes’ 20 league assists this term.
How Man Utd could line up vs Brighton
(4-2-3-1): Lammens; Shaw, Martinez, Maguire, Dalot; Casemiro, Mainoo; Cunha, Fernandes, Mount; Mbeumo.
2026-05-22 18:30:00
