MANCHESTER UNITED’S last-gasp loss at Brighton rounded off a shocking away record in the Premier League against top-nine sides this season.
Alexis Mac Allister’s 99th-minute penalty left the Red Devils with just one point from those eight games.
Casemiro, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford trudge off after the anguished ending at the Amex for the travel-sick Red DevilsRex
GettyBruno Fernandes is devastated as United stay two points off Newcastle in third[/caption]
And the goal difference on elite trips makes even more dire reading.
United have conceded 28 goals, whilst scoring just eight times.
Worst of the lot are amazing thumpings at their two biggest rivals.
Manchester City destroyed them 6-3 back in October, via hat-tricks from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, when only Anthony Martial’s late double reply made the scoreline even half-respectable.
And most incredible of all, Liverpool turned an even, goalless first 43 minutes on March 5 into a record-breaking 7-0 Anfield annihilation.
It’s not as if Erik ten Hag hadn’t been warned in his very first away match in charge.
Brentford netted all their goals in a 4-0 win at the Community Stadium on August 13 in the opening 35 minutes.
Admittedly, in January, Arsenal only beat Ten Hag’s men 3-2, courtesy of Eddie Nketiah’s 90th-minute strike confirmed on VAR.
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But Aston Villa, by 3-1, and Newcastle, 2-0, recorded more comfortable victories.
That leaves the only trip against a top-nine team that didn’t end in defeat.
That was last week’s 2-2 draw at Tottenham, where United blew a deserved 2-0 in the face of a storming comeback.
And Thursday’s agony at Brighton means the Red Devils remain two points behind third-placed Newcastle.
But if the had averaged just a point a game away to the best teams they would virtually have sealed a Champions League spot by now.
And even their 2-1 triumph at tenth-placed Fulham last November was only secured by sub Alejandro Garnacho in the 93rd minute.
GettyDefenders Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof show their dejection following the agonising loss at Brighton in the Premier League[/caption]