Pascal Gross, poured cold water over the flames of optimism at Manchester United as Brighton & Hove Albion turned the Theatre of Dreams into the Theatre of Screams!
The German finished off a fluid team move after half an hour before tapping-in a second from a similar distance in the 39th minute.
United did set themselves up for a grandstand finish through Alexis Mac Allister's 68th-minute own-goal, however, they could not muster a decisive second to salvage a late point.
Erik ten Hag was supposed to symbolise the start of a bright, new era after the chaos of Ralf Rangnick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. This was a crashing return to reality for all those supporters who had built up excitement on the back of a strong set of results in pre-season.
Cristiano Ronaldo was left on the bench due to a lack of fitness. The superstar has been angling for a transfer throughout the summer but there have been no willing suitors. For all of his obvious talents in front of goal, the 37-year-old carries an insurmountable ego and he is not the same phenomenon that he was in his glory days with Real Madrid.
Ronaldo's melodrama in the background, coupled with an underwhelming transfer window, is symptomatic of United’s state at this moment in time. They are a soap opera.
This giant of a football club has experienced more highs than virtually anyone in English football. However, since the departure of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, fans have watched their club fall into a pit of misery and mediocrity.
On the other hand, it was a fantastic statement of intent from Graham Potter's team. They took the game to their star-studded opponents and had the maturity to see out the victory.
Despite losing key players year on year, with Marc Cucurella and Yves Bissouma departing this summer, the wheels never seem to fall off. Their setup on the South Coast is a first-class demonstration of sustainability.
Story of the match
Ten Hag named new signing Christian Eriksen as a false-nine with Ronaldo on the bench. Lisandro Martinez also made his debut at the back alongside Harry Maguire.
Cucurella, who recently joined Chelsea for a hefty £61-million fee, would have been expected to start for Potter in this season opener. Instead, Adam Webster featured on the left of a back-three and Leandro Trossard filled in as an unorthodox left-wing-back.
Within 30 seconds, Trossard ghosted in behind a napping Diogo Dalot before slamming the ball into the side netting from an acute angle. Early foreshadowing for the watching faithful.
At the other end, Bruno Fernandes – arguably the main-man without his Portuguese compatriot amongst the starters – ballooned a 7th-minute effort over the bar from 15-yards after being teed up by Scott McTominay.
Just a couple of minutes later, though, the Red Devils were shooting themselves in the foot once again. Fred sloppily lost possession in his own box but the Brazilian did well to recover and block Trossard’s attempt on goal.
Brighton started to assert their authority on the match and started to press higher up the pitch, though this stance threatened to allow United in on the counter-attack.
After 24 minutes, former Red Devil Danny Welbeck saw his header blocked by Martinez. Jadon Sancho pinged the ball out to Fernandes, who slipped Eriksen in on goal, but Robert Sanchez stood tall and easily gathered the Dane’s dame effort.
Inevitably, the script writers were in a particularly playful mood as Brighton took the lead, six minutes later, with a goal that wouldn’t have looked out of place in an Ajax team managed by United’s new boss!
Trossard released Welbeck in behind and his ball across the box was tapped home by a jubilant Pascal Gross, who had the freedom of Old Trafford at the back post. Wonderful football from the Seagulls.
Visiting supporters were soon gleefully chanting “you’re getting sacked” in the morning as Ten Hag watched on with visible frustration.
Gross could hardly believe his look as he slammed in his second from point-blank range, capitalising on a loose ball after de Gea failed to effectively deal with Solly March’s curling strike.
As half-time approached, Martinez desperately bundled March over as he looked to surge clear of United’s high defensive line. The Argentine received a booking for his misdemeanours. It is a piece of memorabilia from a debut that is likely to live in the memory, for all the wrong reasons!
United started the second-half on the front foot but Welbeck headed wide from a good position as Graham Potter’s men looked for an early third.
On 51 minutes, Rashford sliced his effort into the side netting after working an angle – at which point Ten Hag has seen enough – and Ronaldo was summoned. Off went the ineffective Fred.
Shortly after his arrival, Ronaldo found Rashford in the box and Sanchez made a sensational save to deny the Englishman a certain goal. The offside flag did go up but it was a close one!
Not long after the hour, Rashford skied a first-time effort over the bar and Sanchez had to palm Eriksen's daisy-cutting drive clear.
Hope
United were throwing a lot at the Brighton rearguard without really looking like getting back into the game. Naturally, they needed a helping hand.
Sanchez had been excellent but he made a mess of Eriksen's corner. The ball ricocheted off Dalot, Sanchez then clawed the ball onto Mac Allister and the ball trickled over the line. Suddenly, a comeback was possible.
Ronaldo saw his venomous effort bravely blocked by Adam Webster in the 84th minutes. From the resulting corner, Lewis Dunk made an even more impressive stop on the line to stop Martinez's driven shot.
United made all of their substitutions, most notably bringing Donny van de Beek into the thick of the action, without really looking like they were going to find any answers.
If Manchester United fans thought that the problems of the past were finally behind them, this was a welcome reminder of the brutal reality: the setup at this football club is the glaring factor that is negating success.
Player of the match
Pascal Gross: It could have been anyone in blue and white, particularly at the back, but it is tough to deny the two-goal hero his moment in the sun. Both goals were classic fox-in-the-box type finishes.