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Shocking first-half stat exposes key problem for Man United as expensive stars go missing
Jan 11 2026 19:16 · By onefootball.com · 35 Reads
Manchester United are trailing Brighton 1-0 in the FA Cup and were quite disappointing in the first half.
The Red Devils failed to create too many opportunities, despite having players like Bruno Fernandes , Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount on the pitch.
They have invested a substantial amount of money in Benjamin Sesko , and the Slovenian is expected to score regularly. But he has barely had any service in the first half. The striker had just nine touches of the ball in the first half , and that is not good enough for a team like Manchester United .
The striker needs to be more involved in the final third if Manchester United wants to create more opportunities and score more goals. The absence of Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo due to AFCON has been a major problem for Manchester United in creating openings in the final third, but they have multiple creative players at their disposal and should be doing a lot better.
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Benjamin Sesko of Manchester United kicks the post in frustration (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
It will be interesting to see if Manchester United can improve in that department during the second half and turn the game around. Exiting the FA Cup at this stage would be a devastating blow for them. They are one of the biggest clubs in the country, and they should be doing a lot better. They have been mediocre in the Premier League, and the FA Cup is their best opportunity to win a trophy.
Manchester United certainly have the players to turn the game around. They started the game well, but they lost control midway through the first half. It remains to be seen whether they can improve on their first-half performance and get the job done.