MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United blew a two-goal lead to crash out of the English League Cup after a 3-2 loss to Brighton on Wednesday.
Boos rang around Old Trafford at the final whistle as United fell to its third defeat of the season, and second in as many games following Sunday's loss to Manchester City.
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“We had the game exactly where we wanted it and and let it get away from us in a big way,” United coach Michael Carrick told Sky Sports. “We can’t accept that as a group. I take responsibility for it."
United led 2-0 after 10 minutes through quickfire goals from Shea Lacey and Mason Mount.
But Brighton launched a stunning comeback with Charalampos Kostoulas pulling one back before halftime. Pascal Gross and Maxim De Cuyper secured victory after the break.
Defeat means United has suffered elimination from the League Cup at the earliest stage for the second season in a row after being knocked out by fourth-tier Grimsby last year.
That shock defeat came under former coach Ruben Amorim, who Carrick replaced in January.
Now it is Carrick feeling the heat in what is becoming an increasingly troubled start to the campaign.
United has only won two of six games in all competitions and only once in the Premier League.
After leading a resurgence last season that secured a return to the Champions League, Carrick has not been able to maintain that momentum. And jeers from the home fans underlined growing unrest.
“It doesn’t feel good at the moment, let me tell you,” Carrick said. “But we can get back to winning football matches and we’ve got to do a lot of things better.
“I totally understand the feelings of the supporters. We have to accept it. I totally accept it. It’s on me ultimately, as a team, what we look like, how we play and what results you get. I’ll take that. You take the praise. I’ll stand here and take the criticism and the upset.”
The scenes after the final whistle seemed unthinkable when United raced into an eighth-minute lead through academy graduate Lacey, making his first senior start.
Within two minutes Mount doubled the advantage.
But Brighton refused to buckle and Kostoulas halved the deficit from a tight angle in first-half added time.
Gross showed quick feet to create space in the box and fire past United goalkeeper Karl Darlow in the 65th. Four minutes later Brighton capitalized on sloppy defending as De Cuyper poked home the winner from close range.
Marcus Rashford had the chance to level when running through on goal, but couldn’t beat keeper Jason Steele when one on one.
“We were quickly 2-0 behind, but what we had was really the belief to come back,” Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler told ITV Sport.
United plays winless Fulham away in the Premier League on Sunday before the first international break of the season.
Aston Villa is still to win in the Premier League this season, but it's a different story in cup competitions.
Victory against Club Brugge in the Champions League last week was followed by a 3-1 win against Coventry in the League Cup with Tammy Abraham scoring twice.
It was newly-promoted Coventry's fifth loss in six games in all.
Charly Alcaraz scored the only goal of the game as Everton beat Wolverhampton.
Fourth-tier Fleetwood also won 1-0 against second-tier side Sheffield United.
Fleetwood will have the chance of an even bigger giant-killing when it hosts Premier League champion Arsenal in the fourth round next month.
The biggest draw of the round will see Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield.
Holder Manchester City plays Norwich on Thursday and the winner will take on Brighton.
Fourth-round draw:
Fleetwood vs. Arsenal
Man City or Norwich vs. Brighton
Everton vs. Newcastle
Sunderland vs. Brentford
Liverpool vs. Chelsea
Bradford vs. Peterborough
Fulham vs. Crystal Palace
Bournemouth vs. Aston Villa
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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See AP’s full soccer coverage here
