Manchester United drop points again in Brighton draw

TL;DR

Manchester United Women drew 1-1 with Brighton & Hove Albion, with a late equalizer from Lea Schuller. The result leaves United struggling to secure a UEFA Champions League spot, trailing Arsenal by one point with only one match remaining.

Key points

Manchester United Women drew 1-1 with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Lea Schuller scored the equalizer in stoppage time.
United is one point behind Arsenal for the final Champions League spot.

Manchester UnitedBrighton & Hove AlbionArsenalChelsea

LEIGH, ENGLAND - MAY 02: Lea Schuller of Manchester United scores her team's first goal during the Barclays Women's Super League match between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Progress with Unity Stadium on May 02, 2026 in Leigh, England. (Photo by Charlotte Tattersall - WSL/WSL Football via Getty Images) | WSL Football via Getty Images The stumble down the final stretch continued on Saturday for Manchester United Women and manager Marc Skinner. His side drew 1-1 at home against Brighton & Hove Albion, rescuing a point with a stoppage-time goal from Lea Schuller but giving even more of a buffer for third-placed Arsenal. The Gunners have a one-point lead on the Reds in the final UEFA Champions League place and three games in hand over United. The Reds have only one match left to play against Chelsea. The match on Saturday was a bit more back and forth than some fans might have expected. United again lined up with Jess Park on the right wing and saw Ella Toone return to the starting XI up front alongside Melvine Malard. The Reds would control the majority of possession for the match, but found plenty of chances for themselves in decent stretches. The Seagulls opened the scoring near the end of the first half through midfielder, Jelena Cankovic, and took a 1-0 lead into halftime. It wasn’t until the final 20 minutes that Skinner made major changes to the lineup, and the desperation led to an equalizer eventually. Malard found space down the right and got a low ball across the box to slip by a defender perfectly for her German strike partner. Schuller fired across the goal with her first touch and found the bottom left corner for the score. With European football out of reach, and five matches without a win, it’s hard to feel anything but frustrated with the end result of United’s season and Skinner’s management. The club recently refused to allow questions from The Athletic after an article pointing out the manager’s failures this season, and another recent report indicating the club hierarchy’s dissatisfaction with Skinner is currently the only shred of hope that something may be done in the summer. Until then, it’s more of the same with the Reds on the outside looking in at the Top 3 once again.

Q&A

What was the final score of the Manchester United vs Brighton match?

The final score was 1-1, with Manchester United equalizing in stoppage time.

How does this draw affect Manchester United's Champions League chances?

The draw leaves Manchester United one point behind Arsenal, who have three games in hand, making their Champions League qualification uncertain.

Who scored the goals in the Manchester United vs Brighton match?

Jelena Cankovic scored for Brighton, while Lea Schuller scored the equalizer for Manchester United.