Disaster! Man United eliminated from FA Cup third round with a horrific record in over 100 years

The loss means United have been eliminated at the first stage of both domestic cup competitions and are now set to play their fewest matches in 111 years. They have also remained winless since the start of 2026, following consecutive draws against Leeds and Burnley.

United went into the tie hoping to secure their first victory of the year and build momentum ahead of the upcoming Manchester derby. Darren Fletcher’s side began brightly, creating early chances through Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes, but failed to convert.

Brighton took the lead in the 11th minute through a familiar face. Danny Welbeck delivered a cross towards Georginio Rutter, whose effort was cleared by Lisandro Martínez, only for Gruda to react quickest and fire home the rebound. United struggled to respond before the break and went into half-time trailing 1-0. Their situation worsened early in the second half when Gruda played a simple through ball for Welbeck, who calmly finished to double Brighton’s advantage.

The hosts pushed late on and managed to pull a goal back in the 84th minute, but were unable to find an equaliser. The match ended 2-1, confirming United’s elimination from the FA Cup.

The defeat marked the first time since the 1981-82 season that Manchester United have exited both domestic cup competitions at the earliest possible stage. In addition, the club are now on course to play just 40 matches this season, their lowest total since the 1914-15 campaign, 111 years ago.

Interim head coach Darren Fletcher admitted his side are struggling for confidence. “Without a doubt, confidence is an issue,” he said. “You concede a goal and it hits the players again. Confidence is one of the most powerful things in football.

“When you don’t have it, you have to dig deep, battle, grind, fight, work and win games, and then the confidence comes back. They are experienced and talented players, and I challenge them to regroup. Someone is going to come in and lead them, and they need to make sure they still have a lot to play for this season.”

The defeat could mark Fletcher’s final game in charge, with a new manager expected to be appointed in the coming days. His successor will face an immediate test, with Manchester United set to take on Manchester City in the derby on 17 January, followed by a daunting trip to face Arsenal on 25 January.