A look at Manchester United awful away stat in the Premier League

• Manchester United lost to Brighton on Thursday evening at Amex Stadium
• This was yet another away loss for The Red Devils in what has been an upsetting season for away matches
• Erik ten Hag’s side have had one of the worst away performances in the Premier League this season

Manchester United 1-0 loss against Brighton and Hove Albion on Thursday night was frustrating for several reasons.

The result, courtesy of a penalty from Alexis MacAllister in the ninth minute of stoppage time, not only kept Newcastle third in the Premier League table ahead of Manchester United, but also opened the door for Liverpool and possibly Brighton to still push the race for Champions League qualification into the season’s final games.

United were also second best at the Amex Stadium against a vibrant, stylish Albion side that is continuing to grow under Roberto De Zerbi, albeit Jason Steele was pushed into five stops on the night as Marcus Rashford and others came close.

READ: Premier League: Stoppage time penalty wins it for Brighton against Manchester United

But a huge error by Luke Shaw, who dangled a stray arm in the air from a Brighton corner, gifted the home side the chance to take all three points, and World Cup winner Mac Allister dispatched his penalty with ruthless efficiency past David de Gea.

Manchester United conceded a penalty in the stoppage time to lose 1-0 to Brighton and Hove Albion in a Premier League clash on Thursday, May 4 2023. | PHOTO: Sky |

Despite their overall progress, United have suffered on the road this season, and Brighton’s victory only added to Erik ten Hag’s agony against teams in the top half of the standings.

Ten Hag’s troops have lost seven out of eight games against the other teams in the current top nine, all of whom United has now played away from home.

In fact, their solitary road point came against Tottenham Hotspur, who are on their second temporary manager in what has been a tumultuous season, when a 2-0 half-time advantage was erased by Pedro Porro and Son Heung-min.

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And, as if one point out of a possible 24 wasn’t bad enough, the goal returns in those games are even scarier. United has only scored eight goals and conceded 28, with Ten Hag’s squad conceding three or more in five of the eight games.

That goal difference of -20 demonstrates that United still has a lot of work to do against the Premier League’s best teams, particularly when it comes to showing discipline and organization after falling behind.

United has five games left to get back on track and guarantee a spot in the top four, but there are still a number of difficult away games to contend with. On Sunday, West Ham United will visit the London Stadium, followed by a trip to resurgent Bournemouth. The club’s remaining home games are against Wolves, Chelsea, and Fulham.

Then there’s the FA Cup final on June 3 at Wembley, when United face Manchester City in an attempt to achieve a domestic cup double – Ten Hag won the Carabao Cup in his inaugural season with a 2-0 triumph over Newcastle.