Brighton 2 Man Utd 1: Joao Pedro scores stunning injury-time winner after Joshua Zirkzee’s KNEE costs visitors goal

ERIK TEN HAG shook his head in disbelief after his team was desperately unlucky to be denied a second goal.

But that was nothing compared to Ten Hag’s anger as his team switched off for Joao Pedro to grab a 95th-minute winner.

Pedro was left completely unmarked to head a dramatic clincher following a cross from sub-Simon Adingra.

And what a start in England for Brighton’s 31-year-old manager Fabian Hurzeler whose team crushed Everton a week earlier.

And credit to him for urging his team to push forward at the end rather than settle for a point.

United’s Amad Diallo canceled out a first opener from former United striker Danny Welbeck.

United was incredibly unfortunate though and the main talking point was the goal that never was in the 70th minute.

Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho had combined to give United a late winner in the first game of the Premier League season against Fulham.

Garnacho then thought he had made it 2-1 but incredibly, his shot came off the knee of new £36million striker Zirkzee who was on the line.

Zirkzee was already on his backside because he attempted to turn in the cross from Bruno Fernandes before it had reached Garnacho, who had only been on the pitch for five minutes.

There was no way Zirkzee could get out of the way and even though the ball was going in - and virtually over the line - it had to be ruled out by VAR as the linesman did not flag.

Ten Hag not only stuck with the starting XI which beat Fulham eight days earlier but kept the same substitute’s bench, meaning there was once again no place for Jadon Sancho.

Nevertheless, Diallo should have given United an early lead but he steered a close-range volley wide following a terrific cross from Diogo Dalot. Although he did not have much time to think, he would surely have scored had he tried a diving header.

Casemiro, unmarked at a free-kick from Diallo, sent a header sailing over the bar but then complained that the delivery should have been further forward so he could run onto it. Had he scored, though, he might have been flagged offside.

It was certainly a forgettable game for Marcus Rashford - who was later subbed - and it was his over-hit pass to Fernandes that saw Brighton take the lead.

United’s defense failed to clear the initial pass from Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma slid the ball back across the face of the goal and Welbeck stuck his leg out to score.

Harry Maguire should have done better and cut out the initial cross although he would have risked turning the ball into his net.