Pascal Gross's seventh Premier League goal of the season earned Brighton & Hove Albion a 1-0 win over Manchester United at the Amex Stadium on Friday night.
The Seagulls arguably should have been in front at the interval as David de Gea produced three saves to keep out the opposition.
In the end Gross's headed effort from close range, awarded thanks to goal-line technology, proved to be the matchwinner to ensure another season of top-flight football for Brighton.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United at the Amex Stadium. The Seagulls are winless in seven matches but may already have done enough to avoid the drop, as they find themselves five points above the relegation zone with three matches to go.
Man United are targeting second place in the Premier League, meanwhile, and can nail down that position with victory on the south coast tonight. It may not be the title, which was very much the aim before a ball was kicked, but it would still be a vast improvement on their lowly finish in Jose Mourinho's first campaign at the helm. Before looking at the two sides in a little more depth, let us first check out some confirmed team news...
MANCHESTER UNITED TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: De Gea; Darmian, Smalling, Rojo, Young; Matic, Fellaini, Pogba; Mata, Rashford, Martial
SUBS: Romero, Bailly, Lindelof, Shaw, Herrera, McTominay, Lingard
Starting with a look at the visiting side, Mourinho has made mass changes to the side that beat Arsenal 2-1 last weekend. Six in all, in fact, including a start for Marouane Fellaini following his goal from the bench in that most recent outing, lining up alongside Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba in a midfield three. There is also a place up top for Marcus Rashford, who has a rare chance to impress through the middle.
It is an all-new frontline, as Juan Mata and Anthony Martial are also used from the off, with Alexis Sanchez missing out on the squad entirely this evening. The backline also has a different look to it - Matteo Darmian and Marcos Rojo, whose future remain uncertain at Old Trafford beyond the end of this season, are handed rare starts at right-back and centre-back respectively. Chris Smalling and Ashley Young retain their places.
Despite heavily rotating his squad, perhaps with the FA Cup final in mind, Mourinho still cannot find room for Luke Shaw in the starting lineup - a penny for his thoughts. Sergio Romero joins Shaw on the bench tonight, having recovered from an injury problem that has ruled him out for a number of weeks, while Eric Bailly is back involved after being left out of the last two matchday squads.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Ryan; Bruno, Dunk, Duffy, Bong; Knockaert, Stephens, Propper, Izquierdo; Gross; Murray
SUBS: Krul, Goldson, Schelotto, March, Kayal, Ulloa, Locadia
In terms of the visitors, Chris Hughton has made a couple of changes from the goalless draw with Burnley last weekend. Davy Propper returns from suspension and was always expected to slot straight back into central midfield alongside Dale Stephens, while top scorer Glenn Murray returns to the side in attack. Beram Kayal and Leonardo Ulloa are the unfortunate pair to drop out.
Murray will lead the line, starting just ahead of creative midfielder Pascal Gross, who has to go down as one of the best buys of last summer. Gross has played a part in 41% of Brighton's 32 goals on their return to the Premier League - only Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, with 50%, has been directly involved in more. Anthony Knockaert and Jose Izquierdo will patrol the wings and look to get the ball into the middle.
Steve Sidwell remains the Seagulls' only absentee, having missed the entire campaign with an ankle problem. Hughton has made just those two changes from the 0-0 draw with Brighton, however, meaning that the likes of Solly March and Jurgen Locadia must watch on from the bench. We can expect to see Gross drop deep to make it a five-man midfield, which could be where this game is won and lost.
Marouane Fellaini returns to the starting lineup as one of six changes for Manchester United this evening. As well as altering his midfield setup slightly, Jose Mourinho has completely revamped the frontline and also brought Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian into the backline - as makeshift as you like! Brighton & Hove Albion make two changes, meanwhile, with Davy Propper and Glenn Murray restored.
Brighton head into this first Premier League fixture of the weekend sitting five points above the relegation zone on 37 points - surely enough to beat the drop, even if they fail to pick up another point from their final three matches. Usually that would be a little short of the minimum required to stay afloat, but the bottom three this season have been atrocious for large parts and will struggle to get more than six or seven points on the board between them.
The Seagulls have failed to win any of their last seven matches, but they have taken points off Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley in their last two matches and Hughton will be quietly confident of a second season of Premier League football. Southampton have to win two of their last three to reduce the gap and, even if they do achieve that, Huddersfield Town and West Ham United are at more immediate risk of going down.
Still, Hughton will not want to go into the final match - a daunting trip to Liverpool - knowing that his side need a point or more to avoid the drop. The problem is, Brighton face Man United, Man City and then Liverpool in the final week of the campaign, so adding to their 37 points is going to be an extremely difficult task. A tough end to the campaign, then, but a campaign that will surely end with their mission achieved.
Brighton's season has petered out slightly since the beginning of March, collecting three points from a possible 18 since then to set up what could still be a tense final game of the season. If they do stay up - and a safe bet would be to back that happening - Hughton and Albion supporters will look back at the run of form between January 27 and March 4 as the moment that they achieved their aim.
Three wins and two draws in that sequence, culminating in a 2-1 victory over Arsenal here, all but ended any fears of relegation. Albion have a pretty good record at the Amex Stadium in general, with only seven other teams boasting a better points return on home soil. Brighton have won more than they have lost here, although they have failed to win any of the last three heading into this clash.
Leicester City and Huddersfield Town both frustrated the Seagulls, before Tottenham Hotspur were held a couple of weeks ago. Hughton will now want to go out on a high in this final home match of the campaign in what is a first home match against United in any competition since 1992. The clean sheet at Burnley last time out provides a good platform to build on - their first clean sheet in 14 attempts.
Corners have proved to be particularly troublesome for Brighton, as they have conceded 14 times from the set-piece situation - four more than any other side. If one more point is going to be needed to stay afloat, then this actually looks like being Albion's best chance of picking up a draw, with trips to Manchester City and Liverpool in the final four days of the campaign.
DID YOU KNOW? Brighton & Hove Albion have won six of their last seven home games on a Friday, drawing the other, since a 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2016. However, Chris Hughton has just one previous managerial win to his name against Manchester United, losing the other six matches by an aggregate score of 15-0.
Brighton & Hove Albion have looked solid on home soil this season, with only seven other sides boasting better records. The Seagulls are winless in three here, however, most recently playing out a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, and they may yet need another point from their final three matches - the other two being away - if they are to remain above the relegation zone.
United make the trip to the south coast sitting second in the Premier League and now assured of a place in next season's Champions League, courtesy of last weekend's late 2-1 win over Arsenal. The top-flight title race has been over for a while now - officially for a few weeks, unofficially for a few months - so bagging that runners-up spot is a long-term target for Mourinho.
There is no doubt that Man City have been by far the best side in the division over the past nine months, but on that basis Man United would be worthy runners-up as they have been the most consistent side from the chasing pack. In fact, if the Red Devils win their remaining three matches, which you would fancy them to do, they will have amassed enough points to have won the Premier League title in nine previous seasons.
The Red Devils' biggest disappointment was crashing out of the Champions League at the hands of Sevilla, putting a real dent in Mourinho's previously fantastic record in his second season at a club. The campaign is still just about salvageable, however, as long as they finish in their current position of second place in the league and follow that up with victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup.
United have lost six of their last seven games since the shock European exit to Sevilla; the only blemish in that run coming at home to West Bromwich Albion - an even more shocking defeat that shows there is still work to be done by Mourinho. The Portuguese will be keen to point out, however, that United have defeated Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal and Spurs - the latter in the FA Cup - over the past 10 weeks.
The Red Devils' big game record now looks very impressive; they simply have to learn how to overcome the so-called lesser sides in the same manner as Man City. United have a nice run of games to see out the campaign, starting with this trip to Brighton and then taking in matches with West Ham United and Watford, before the FA Cup final showdown with Chelsea which looks like being a real classic.
United have won three away games in a row - they last went four without dropping a point in April 2017. They have already lost at Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United this season, though, and are now aiming to avoid losing to all three promoted sides away from home for the first time ever in the top flight. As touched upon a little earlier, this is the type of test that Mourinho's men have to learn to pass with few problems.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Brighton & Hove Albion's only win in 18 previous meetings against Manchester United was by a 1-0 scoreline at home in 1982. The Red Devils have won each of the last four without conceding a goal, each of those coming at Old Trafford, including in the Premier League and FA Cup during the 2017-18 season.
With kickoff now a little over five minutes away at Old Trafford, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Chris Hughton: "You have to go into every game thinking you can get a result - we'll be buoyed by our previous matches but United are in a good rhythm - these are the challenges we've worked so hard for. We have an opportunity on Friday to do ourselves a big favour. If we can perform as well as we did against them on the previous two occasions then we give ourselves a chance."
Jose Mourinho: "Very, very good - to go from very, very good to amazing he just needs to mathematically confirm the Premier League for next season. I think they don't need more points, I think they have the job done, but mathematically they still need a point or something or other results to go their way. I think Brighton will be there next year and that's a fantastic job for Chris and not surprising for me because since the start they have showed the quality and mentality to get the points they need to stay in the division."
Hughton believes that his side "have a chance" of claiming something out of this match if they can match their performance levels from their previous two meetings with United this term. The pressure is off the Seagulls slightly tonight, knowing that there is a five-point margin on the bottom three with two games left to play after this one, but with two even tougher fixtures ahead this could be their last chance to pick up a point this term.
Mourinho was keen to heap praise on opposite number Hughton, meanwhile, insisting that it is job done for the Seagulls as far as survival goes. The Portuguese will no doubt want to see his players raise their own performance levels heading into the FA Cup final, and having played a direct part in four goals in his last four games, Pogba is one of those to have stepped things back up.
KICKOFF! Manchester United, who require one more win to secure second place in the Premier League, gets us up and running on their first visit to the Amex Stadium. Brighton & Hove Albion, meanwhile, will be targeting a point.
FA Cup final spots potentially up for grabs tonight as far as the United players are concerned, and there will be particular focus on Rashford in that central striking position. Romelu Lukaku is a fitness doubt for the Chelsea clash so a real incentive for Rashford to impress.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Rashford turns and runs right at Duffy, earning a free kick out of the Brighton centre-back. Rashford's delivery was helped past Mathew Ryan by Marouane Fellaini, but he was rightly flagged for offside.
Promising start to the contest for United through that early goal, which was correctly ruled out for offside. Brighton have not really been allowed to get the ball forward yet, although when they did Smalling and Murray tangled - no appeals from the Albion striker.
Better from Brighton, with the ball being worked to Dale Stephens into a central position around 22 yards from goal. The shot was a little dragged in the end, however, and David de Gea was happy to let it drift past his left-hand post.
An evenly-contested match on our hands at the Amex Stadium now as Brighton are starting to enjoy more of the ball. United have only really put one attacking move together, and that led to Rashford picking out Fellaini from the free kick for that disallowed goal.
Brighton are the side more in control of the match at the moment, without really being able to trouble their opponents. The match so far has not been too dissimilar to the FA Cup quarter-final tie from a couple of months back.
SAVE! The first shot on target of the evening is a simple one for David de Gea, who gets down routinely enough to collect Pascal Gross's shot from the edge of the box. Dale Stephens was allowed to shoot from a similar position five minutes ago.
Since that offside goal early on United have barely managed to put an attacking move together. Instead, Brighton are growing more and more into the match and have now managed to get a couple of shots away - one of those on target.
Paul Pogba initially a little reluctant to shoot from a good position, which proved to be the wrong call. Up the other end, Glenn Murray scoops a cross towards the penalty spot but David de Gea read it well and was there to collect.
SAVE! Superb attempt from Glenn Murray and an equally-as-impressive save from David de Gea. The striker took on the half-volley from range and the ball was dipping towards the bottom corner if not for De Gea's intervention.
Very disjointed from United in the attacking third, with a pass towards Marcus Rashford rolling right through to Mathew Ryan. The Red Devils having to focus more on defending than attacking in the opening quarter of the contest.
Paul Pogba's shot from range is blocked, and then his cross is half-cleared. Marcus Rashford picked up possession but his bullet strike did not make it as far as Mathew Ryan, who has had a lot less to do than opposite number David de Gea.
CHANCE! Good opening for United as Marcus Rashford nicked the ball off Lewis Dunk but delayed picking out Anthony Martial in plenty of space in the middle of the box. When the pass did arrive, it was blocked behind for a corner.
Two shots on target in the opening half an hour of the match and they have both come from Brighton players. Pascal Gross and Glenn Murray have both been denied by David de Gea, while Man United have yet to really click into gear.
SAVE! Yet another save for David de Gea to make, this time from Jose Izquierdo's dipping shot that the Spaniard had to tip over the crossbar. From the corner, Shane glanced a free header wide of the target, with Glenn Murray unable to turn it in.
Mourinho was absolutely furious down on the touchline when Rashford failed to pick out Martial from United's last attacking move. If this is an audition for Rashford ahead of the FA Cup final, then so far he has not done a great deal to impress his boss.
Rashford is having a poor game, once again losing possession before winning it back and losing it again. The Red Devils badly struggling to put passes together at the moment and it remains Brighton who look the better side.
Pascal Gross is played in behind the United backline but is unable to slip the ball past David de Gea. The Seagulls need to make their superiority count because their second-placed opponents will surely only improve in the second half.
Brighton have had eight attempts to United's four so far; three to zero in terms of on-target efforts. It has been a good first-half showing from the home side, who will argue that they should have a lead to take into the interval.
Rashford has been disappointing in the first half but he was a little unlucky here. The Englishman made a good run around the back and was fouled close to the touchline by Mathew Ryan, who saw the decision go his way - not only no free kick, but also a goal kick!
Knockaert sails past Matic like he was not there but rather than getting the shot away he looked to feed Murray, who was stood in an offside position. Prior to that, Pogba's cross-field pass was hit to nobody in particular, greeted by sarcastic cheers from home fans.
A first half that Brighton have had the better of is edging to an end. A short stoppage in play for Gaeten Bong to receive some treatment, having landed awkward following an aerial dual with Chris Smalling. Expect those minutes to be added on.
HALF TIME: BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 0-0 MANCHESTER UNITED
If ever an attack summed up a team's performance it was this final move from United before the break; Pogba winning the ball in midfield but horrendously overhitting his intended through-ball for Rashford right out of play. Far more required from the Red Devils in the second half.
The early signs were promising for United, as Marcus Rashford won his side a free kick in a promising position and sent it into a dangerous area for Marouane Fellaini to convert, only for the Belgian midfielder to rightly be flagged for offside. From that point on the Red Devils barely put together a fluid attacking move in the first half, as a side showing six changes from last time out struggled to keep their foot on the ball.
Brighton arguably did enough to take a lead into the half-time interval, with both Pascal Gross and Jose Izquierdo being denied with long-range efforts, while Dale Stephens dragged one wide from a similar range. The Seagulls' best effort came via returning striker Glenn Murray, whose half-volley was dipping towards the bottom corner if not for the intervention of De Gea to get across.
Jose Mourinho was struggling to hide his frustration on the touchline, his mood made all the worse when his side finally got in behind through Marcus Rashford, who delayed a simple cutback to Anthony Martial and saw the chance go begging. The Red Devils boss may well be tempted to make a change at the break, so with that in mind let us check out both sides' benches...
BENCH WATCH!
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION SUBS: Krul, Goldson, Schelotto, March, Kayal, Ulloa, Locadia
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Romero, Bailly, Lindelof, Shaw, Herrera, McTominay, Lingard
RESTART! We are back under way at the Amex Stadium, where neither manager has made any changes. Manchester United were poor in the first half, yet it remains all square and they will still fancy grabbing all three points.
YELLOW CARD! Glenn Murray with a classic striker's challenge, going right through Marouane Fellaini and rightly earning the game's first yellow card. United attempting to put some passes together now as they seek a breakthrough.
SAVE! Better from United, as Paul Pogba attempts to catch out Mathew Ryan at his near post. The Brighton keeper did well to read the shot and get down to his right, even managing to collect the ball rather than parrying it.
The match may be scoreless but it is entertaining enough, with both teams looking for the breakthrough goal. A superb little touch from Murray out wide is applauded by home supporters, but Izquierdo slowed the attack down too much.
Nice play from Knockaert - the key man behind last season's promotion - as he ghosts past a couple of opponents and lets leash. The ball hit Smalling and deflected over for a corner kick, which Pogba is able to head clear in the centre.
Anthony Martial is in plenty of space on the left but cannot lift the ball over the first man when sending it into the box. From the corner Marouane Fellaini climbed highest but could not make clean contact wit his headed effort.
GOAL! BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 1-0 MANCHESTER UNITED (PASCAL GROSS)
Brighton take the lead at the Amex Stadium through Pascal Gross - their key man this season. Izquierdo got the ball into the middle and Gross was waiting to head it goalwards from eight yards out. Marcos Rojo looked to have done brilliantly to keep it out on the line, but two seconds later the referee awarded the goal with the use of goal-line technology.
Brighton have not been as bright as they were in the first half, though on the balance of things that goal is deserved. Another reminder of why we use goal-line technology in the Premier League these days - the referee would not have been able to tell either way if not for system in place.
United sliced upon again as Bruno this time gets in down the right, only for his cutback to be blocked aside. Knockaert wants a penalty after his heel was clipped slightly by Martial - a tough one for the officials and one they appeared to get right.
CLOSE! Brighton have looked very good since going in front. Gross plays the ball back across goal and Izquierdo fired narrowly wide. Surprised Mourinho has held off from making a sub for as long as he has.
YELLOW CARD! Pascal Gross, whose goal separates the sides at the moment, pulls back Juan Mata right on the edge of the opposition box and is the second player to be cautioned. Mata takes the free kick but is unable to test Ryan.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS! Marouane Fellaini and Matteo Darmian make way for United, replaced by Jesse Lingard and Luke Shaw. Those changes were much-needed because the Red Devils have been below-par all evening.
The visitors starting to enjoy some sustained pressure now, which is not something they have managed all evening up until this point. Brighton have near enough had the better of the opening 70 minutes but momentum may be shifting.
SAVES! To say this is better from United is an understatement. Rashford gets a powerful shot in from distance for Ryan to parry, before Lingard's caressed effort was kept out in a more straightforward manner by the Brighton stopper.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! A third and final change made by Mourinho, who has brought on young midfielder Scott McTominay for Marcos Rojo. Opposite number Hughton still has all three subs available to make as and when he pleases.
Martial with near enough his brightest moment of the match, working some space from 20 yards out and sending the ball over the crossbar. Hughton may well look to bring on another midfielder shortly because United are now dominating.
Pogba tries his best to create something from the edge of the box. In the end he has a shot at goal, which is rather pathetic in truth, sending the ball trickling well wide of the target. Still, United still seeing more of the ball in the final third.
Martial did well to control the ball - although it looked as though he may have used his hand from initial viewing - before firing a volley over the crossbar. Hughton holding off from making his first change of the match, with 10 minutes to play.
A reminder that this result will make certain of Brighton's place in the Premier League next season. Thirty-seven points probably would have been enough; 40 certainly will be and they can relax in the final week of the campaign.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION SUB! Beram Kayal is introduced in place of likely matchwinner Pascal Gross for the final six minutes of the contest. United have gone back to being disjointed in the final third - it is not their day.
CHANCE! Chances have been few and far between for United this evening, making this miss from Jesse Lingard all the worse for Mourinho to take. Marcus Rashford backheeled the ball into Lingard's path but the scuffed shot was wide.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION SUB! Hughton makes his second change, bringing on Solly March for Izquierdo for these closing stages. Just two more minutes for Brighton to see through and their Premier League status will be assured.
We have just entered the first minute of four added on at the end of the match. United the team pressing, as you would expect, but Brighton do not look all that concerned. Far too one-dimensional from the visitors all evening.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION SUB! Hughton using his subs wisely, making his third and final change in the second minute of added time. Leonardo Ulloa is on for Glenn Murray, who has put in a good shift and helped his side to three points - surely!
FULL TIME: BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 1-0 MANCHESTER UNITED
Brighton & Hove Albion see things through to take themselves up to 40 points for the season - enough to make mathematically certain of Premier League safety. Pascal Gross's seventh top-flight goal of the campaign proved to be the winner, and on the balance of things you have to say that it was deserved.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from the Amex Stadium. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction will be available elsewhere on the site in due course. Thanks for joining!
