Bruno Fernandes kept his cool from the spot as Manchester United scored a controversial penalty in the 10th minute of added time to steal all three points with a 3-2 win at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Referee Chris Kavanagh awarded United a penalty with intervention from VAR, despite having already blown for full time as Neal Maupay was penalised for handball.

And Fernandes duly converted to leave the Seagulls heartbroken having deservedly equalised in the fifth minute of added time through Solly March.

Maupay had put the Seagulls ahead from the penalty spot, before an own goal from Lewis Dunk saw the scores level at half-time. A great strike from Marcus Rashford put United ahead early in the second half, but Brighton pushed and pushed to get level – hitting the woodwork five times before it looked like they got a point through March’s header in added time.

United make changes

Albion made one change with Adam Lallana in for the suspended Yves Bissouma, whilst United made three changes to their starting line up that faced Crystal Palace - Mason Greenwood, Nemanja Matic and Aaron Wan-Bissaka all coming in for the visitors.

The visitors enjoyed large spells of possession early on, but it was Albion who went closest to breaking the deadlock nine minutes in. Leandro Trossard was allowed to turn on the edge of the box and his effort beat David De Gea, only to come back off the post.

However, the Red Devils almost got themselves in front ten minutes later when Fernandes found space on the left and curled in a great ball which narrowly missed Anthony Martial when any sort of touch would have guided it inside the far post.

But Trossard continued to prove to be a threat for the Seagulls, with the Belgian again being denied by the post. This time, Steven Alzate showed good feet to find the playmaker, but his low drive clipped the frame of the goal after beating the dive of De Gea.

And the frame of the goal once again kept Albion out on the half hour mark. March’s free-kick ran all the way to Maupay at the far post, who clipped the ball back in and found Adam Webster, but his dipping header was kept out by a mixture of the fingertips of De Gea and the crossbar.

United showed a glimpse of what they’re capable of in the final third when Martial, Rashford and Greenwood all combined, but the offside flag was up after the latter fired past Mat Ryan.

Deadlock broken

But the Seagulls kept pressing forwards and broke the deadlock seven minutes before the break. Fernandes caught Tariq Lamptey after he broke into the penalty area, and Maupay stepped up before coolly dinking the ball down the middle to give Albion the advantage.

However, United drew level just moments later against the run of play. Fernandes fizzed a free-kick across goal and Matic kept it alive only for Dunk, under pressure from Harry Maguire, to turn the ball into his own net from close range.

Brighton thought they had another penalty at the start of the second half when Aaron Connolly went down under a challenge from Paul Pogba, only for Kavanagh to chalk it off after referring to the pitch-side monitor, before Rashford fired Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side in front.

Fernandes released the England international on the left, who he cut inside and beat Ben White before doing well in picking out the top corner from 12 yards.

Woodwork frustrates Seagulls again

Brighton looked to respond and were only to be denied an equaliser on the hour by the woodwork once again. A swift attacking move saw Connolly find March, but his low drive across goal rebounded back off the inside of the post.

Albion made a double change as they looked to draw level, but were denied by the woodwork for a FIFTH time with 15 minutes to go. Substitute Ali Jahanbakhsh played a great ball across to Trossard, who having hit both posts saw his strike cannon back off the bar with De Gea beaten.

The Seagulls continued to press, and March should have done better with five minutes to go when Ben White’s cross picked out the wing back but he could only blaze over when well placed.

But Albion’s best chance to draw level came in the third minute of added time. Substitute Pascal Gross hooked a ball in which found Alzate, and his shot fell to Trossard, but from six yards he was thwarted by De Gea.

And just when it looked like the Seagulls were beaten, Jahanbakhsh whipped in a great cross from the right which ran to March at the far post, and unmarked he headed home to give Brighton what looked like a deserved point.

It's not over yet...

However, there was to be drama even later on. 96 minutes were on the clock when Fernandes whipped a corner in and picked out Maguire, whose header hit the arm of Maupay and was cleared by March off the line before referee Kavanagh blew for full-time.

However, after a delay VAR intervened and after consulting with the pitch-side camera, Kavanagh pointed to the spot. In the 100th minute, Portuguese star Fernandes stepped up and planted the ball into the top corner with the last kick of the game to steal all three points for the Red Devils.