Brighton 2-1 Manchester United: The Seagulls continue their unbeaten start to the new season as Erik ten Hag’s side only have themselves to blame for Joao Pedro’s 95th-minute winner

Manchester United’s first investigation of the season has begun. It looks like it won’t be the last.

There was almost an air of inevitability about it all when João Pedro headed home in the 95th minute as Brighton maintained their perfect start to the season.

Hope is the last thing to be expected at this stage of the season. Fans believe that things can be different and that their team’s mistakes have been corrected and fixed.

Well, for United it appears to be a case of business as usual.

Having clawed their way back into the game after Brighton had, albeit against the run of play, taken the lead in the first half through former United striker Danny Welbeck, Ten Hag’s side inexplicably blew it all in the dying seconds behind some of the most horrendous defending they are likely to see this weekend.

It’s a familiar feeling for United. That sinking feeling. The optimism generated by last weekend’s opening-day win against Fulham was wiped out in an instant.

But even then, Joshua Zirkzee’s late winner papered over the cracks in what was a lacklustre display against Marco Silva’s side.

The cracks were exposed this weekend, which should worry Ten Hag.

However, the Dutchman is likely to see his side’s first-half performance as reasons for positive thinking.

That would have credibility, United were unlucky to find themselves at half-time.

As Ten Hag ran towards the tunnel at half-time, he may have struggled to find his words.

His team had good luck and not the luck of being behind. Winger Amad Diallo was dangerous, Casemiro looked weak, Bruno Fernandes – in a false nine role – caused problems, as did Marcus Rashford on the left.

The only thing that was really missing was the finishing touch.

Diallo was responsible for their most obvious error in the 10th minute, wasting a golden opportunity at the far post following a delicious Diogo Dalot cross from the left.

Casemiro headed over the top of the area before Diallo’s terrible pass to Rashford squandered a promising three-on-two counterattack on the half-hour mark.

What followed two minutes later would have been immensely frustrating for Ten Hag.

It was Welbeck who headed in off the far post after a pass from Kaoru Mitoma.

But it was João Pedro’s dangerous cross from the right, coupled with Harry Maguire’s baffling decision not to at least try to stop it, that proved United’s undoing.

And despite United’s supremacy, Brighton’s advantage did not represent a total injustice.

Well organised and trained down to the last detail, the first impressions of their new boss, Fabian Hurzeler, are encouraging.

Last weekend’s comfortable win at Everton and now this. They have a knack for uncovering great coaching talent around here.

They may have done it again here with Hurzeler.

But United continued to exert control of the game. Rashford sent the ball over the line in the 34th minute from Diallo’s cross, but the VAR ruled it out for offside, before Jason Steele saved Mason Mount’s effort from the edge of the area.

That was Mount’s last significant contribution to the match as Ten Hag brought him on for Zirkzee at half-time.

Mount may disagree, but it was a necessary change. United were lacking a focal point in attack, and the Dutchman (at 1.93m tall) certainly offered that to United.

But the change meant United lost their rhythm. James Milner missed two good chances, the second in a particularly tight game requiring Dalot to clear off the line.

Next to waste the ball was Welbeck, who headed straight at Andre Onana from a Yankuba Minteh cross.

Somehow, United’s fluency had vanished into thin air. Suddenly, Brighton were in the ascendancy.

Welbeck then sent a stunning header onto the crossbar from Milner’s cross as United continued to reel.

So, based on how the first half played out, you could predict what was going to happen.

United’s equaliser came on the hour mark when Diallo, having received a pass from Noussair Mazraoui, drove down the right, cut inside Jack Hinshelwood and fired beyond Steele.

The goal was largely down to a deflection off Jan Paul van Hecke, but it would be cruel to take this goal away from the United youngster after a traumatic 24 hours.

Diallo insisted he wanted to play here at the Amex despite revealing his stepmother had passed away earlier in the week.

Ten Hag must have been grateful for his young winger’s strength. It’s just a shame his teammates were unable to show the same kind of grit in the latter stages of the game.

Rashford left the field in place of Alejandro Garnacho shortly after the goal as Ten Hag went for the tackle.

It almost proved to be a masterstroke. Diallo once again proved a threat down the right before delivering a perfectly timed pass to Fernandes.

The United captain found Garnacho at the far post, with the Argentine appearing to put the visitors ahead.

But the substitute’s effort took a little of the pressure off Zirkzee on the line as the Dutch star glided towards goal.

Had the ball not touched Zirkzee, the goal would have been valid thanks to a VAR decision. It was brutal for United, as was the climax of the match.

United have only themselves to blame. Their error in clearing a corner resulted in the excellent Billy Gilmour winning the ball back on the edge of the area with a clever pass to Simon Adingra.

The winger’s cross to the far post was magnificent, while United’s marking was abysmal.

Pedro squandered the chance with a powerful header off the far post as the Amex exploded.

One might imagine that Ten Hag was also erupting, but for completely different reasons.