Moroccan defender Noussair Mazraoui had his worst game of the season as Manchester United fell 1-3 to Brighton in the 22nd round of the 2024-25 English Premier League.
Before 74,000 fans at Old Trafford, United suffered their 10th league defeat of the season, leaving them in 13th place with 26 points. Brighton’s goals came from Yankuba Mintah (5′), Kaoru Mitoma (60′), and Jorginho Rutter (76′), while Bruno Fernandes scored United’s only goal (23′).
Mazraoui’s Defensive Struggles Against Brighton
Noussair endured a nightmare performance, with poor positioning contributing to the first two goals. For the opener, Mitoma slipped past him to set up Mintah, while for the second, Mitoma evaded his marking to score.
Adding to his woes, Mazraoui suffered a shoulder injury during the second goal and was substituted in the 84th minute for Antony.
Fans heavily criticised Mazraoui on social media, calling him a “defensive disaster.” Despite the team’s collective struggles, the 27-year-old bore the brunt of the backlash.
Mazraoui’s Season and Redemption Ahead
Noussair joined Manchester United this season from Bayern Munich for €15 million. While he has impressed for much of the campaign, his performance against Brighton marked a low point. The Moroccan international, with 31 caps, is widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s top full-backs due to his strength in duels and defensive reliability.
Mazraoui will look to bounce back in United’s next match against Rangers on January 23 in the Europa League. Under new manager Ruben Amorim, United will hope to reverse their poor form, having lost seven of their last 12 matches in all competitions.
Mazraoui’s Stats This Season
In 32 appearances across all competitions this season (Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Europa League), Noussair has provided two assists but is yet to score.
