Nafisa
It was a result that sent shockwaves through the Premier League, but for the Brighton & Hove Albion players standing on the hallowed turf of Old Trafford, the scoreline wasn’t the only thing that left them stunned. After a clinical performance saw the Seagulls knock Manchester United out of the cup, the players headed toward the away end to celebrate.
​What they heard wasn’t just the usual roar of victory. Instead, the traveling Brighton faithful broke into a deafening, tongue-in-cheek chant: “Can we play you every week?” The irony wasn’t lost on the squad. For decades, Old Trafford was a fortress where visiting teams expected nothing but a bruising defeat. Yet, as the Brighton players looked at each other in disbelief, the reality set in—they hadn’t just won; they had dominated.
​”We expected a battle, but the atmosphere from our fans made it feel like a home game,” one midfielder remarked in the mixed zone. “Hearing them chant that in such a historic stadium… it was surreal. It shows how far this club has come.”
​The chants served as a brutal soundtrack to United’s exit, highlighting a shift in the English football hierarchy. For Brighton, it was a night of pure euphoria; for the hosts, it was a haunting reminder of their current vulnerability.
Nafisa
Mustapha Sheidu