Ruben Amorim hailed Manchester United’s 4-2 win against Brighton on Saturday as a “more complete” performance than their impressive victory over Premier League champions Liverpool.

After going eight games in all competitions without a goal following his close-season move from Wolves, Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha netted in the first half at Old Trafford to start repaying his £62.5 million ($83 million) transfer fee.

Casemiro doubled United’s lead before the interval and Bryan Mbeumo was on target in the second half.

Danny Welbeck’s late goal against his former club and a stoppage-time effort from Charalampos Kostoulas came too late for Brighton to snatch a point.

Mbeumo struck again at the death to give revitalised United three consecutive Premier League wins for the first time since February 2024 under Amorim’s predecessor Erik ten Hag.

“When you have a different spirit, we are a bit more free playing the game. We have a different confidence,” Amorim said.

“The performance was important but it would not be Manchester United without suffering a bit.”

United’s confident display maintained the momentum from last weekend’s win against Liverpool and the success against Sunderland that preceded their first triumph at Anfield since 2016.

The 2-1 victory against the Premier League champions had given Amorim a much-needed boost after a turbulent start to the season.

Now United’s latest win has lifted them into fourth place in the Premier League ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.

“I never had that feeling of embarrassment of not winning games, I felt (co-owner) Jim Ratcliffe always believed. But to face the fans was difficult in that moment. It’s so hard in football, everything can change in one minute,” Amorim said.

“We are improving in the bad moments and respond in a different way. You can feel it. The team play so much better compared to last season.

“We have players more suited to this type of style. I like more today than last week against Liverpool, it was more complete.”

Clinical United 

United were rewarded for their early barrage in the 24th minute as Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro teed up Cunha just outside the Brighton area for a sweet strike that gave Bart Verbruggen no chance as it raced into the far corner.

Since the start of last season, Cunha has scored seven goals from outside the area, more than any other Premier League player in all competitions.

Casemiro joined his fellow Brazilian on the scoresheet in the 34th minute.

If Cunha’s goal was superbly crafted and finished, Casemiro needed a substantial slice of luck to net for the second time this term.

Casemiro’s shot from the edge of the area took a wicked deflection off Brighton’s Yasin Ayari, catching Verbruggen wrong-footed as it tricked apologetically over the line.

Ratcliffe recently said the under-fire Amorim would get three years to put the club back on track after their worst top-flight finish since 1973-74 last season.

While cynics doubted whether Ratcliffe would stick to his word if United continued to struggle, Amorim would have been pleased to hear that his employer was seen clapping and cheering as the hosts took control.

United have never lost a Premier League game at Old Trafford after leading at half time.

Mbeumo ensured that statistic would continue when the Cameroon forward slotted home in composed fashion in the 61st minute, to the frustration of Brighton who claimed Luke Shaw committed a foul in the build-up.

It was Mbeumo’s fourth goal since his close-season move from Brentford as the Cameroon forward maintained the momentum from last weekend’s strike against Liverpool.

When Welbeck struck in the 74th minute with a superb free-kick, United’s nerves began to jangle.

Their pulses were racing even faster after Kostoulas headed in James Milner’s corner in the closing seconds.

But Mbeumo quelled the mounting anxiety with virtually the last kick as he sprinted onto Fernandes’s pass and fired home via the crossbar.