Erik ten Hag put the blame on Manchester United defenders for leaving Joao Pedro unmarked during Brighton's late winner.

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• United succumbed to a 2-1 loss
• Pedro struck late in stoppage time
• Ten Hag furious with his full-backs

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pedro headed home a 95th-minute winner to inflict the season's first defeat on United after Amad Diallo cancelled out Danny Welbeck's winner. An unchallenged Simon Adingra swung in a cross, with full-backs Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui both culpable in allowing the winger to cut inside. The striker made no mistake to score, leaving Ten Hag frustrated with his players.

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  WHAT TEN HAG SAID

  "We didn't stop the cross," Ten Hag said. "There were three players [around Adingra], and he's a right-footed player. We should have forced him down the line, kept him wide, instead of letting him cut inside and deliver the cross. We have, of course, to talk about this, how we act in that situation as a team. There were more than one mistake on that occasion and it has a big impact on the score."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pedro's 95th-minute strike was not an isolated incident; it was the sixth time in two years that Manchester United has conceded a goal after the 90th minute under Ten Hag's management. No other Premier League club has suffered as many late-game losses in that period, a worrying trend that Ten Hag acknowledged but was quick to defend.

  "Conceding in added time] is very disappointing, yeah," he admitted. "Because in the Community Shield, we concede just before time, we should be more clinical in such situations, read the game, take the point if you can't win any more. We were close to winning this game but definitely don't lose the game.

  "I think we also often did the right things, that we often had success. For instance, when we win the trophies and there were many other big games we take the points. On this occasion today we should do better. On many occasions, we have done very well in situations where we brought the score over the line and took the result."

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  Despite the disappointing result, Ten Hag found some positives in United's performance, particularly in the first half.

  "Not only counter-attacking but build-up, possession, how we defend," he added. "I have seen some good parts, there were parts in the game, especially the second part, we should keep more control in the game. But there were very good parts but we have to build up, be more clinal, and be more aggressive."

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