'We discussed that we need to score more late goals' - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praises 100th-minute winner

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who scored the most famous late winner in the history of Manchester United, said his side need to get more late goals after they clinched victory over Brighton and Hove Albion with a penalty scored following the final whistle.

This piece of history was made by the Video Assistant Referee, which recommended that referee Chris Kavanagh review a handball by Brighton striker Neal Maupay despite the official having blown the whistle earlier with the score at 3-2. Kavanagh subsequently decided that a penalty should be given and Bruno Fernandes converted it in the 100th minute of the game to give United their first win of the Premier League season.

Solskjaer, who scored the winner for United in the 1999 Champions League final, said: “It was the right thing [for the referee to do]. For us it is a big thing. We have discussed that we need to score more late goals. We were the team who conceded the fewest goals apart from Liverpool last season but we drew too many. It’s a great boost for us.”

He conceded that it had been a “let-off” for United who found themselves outplayed at times by Brighton. With five minutes of time added on at the end, Solly March had scored for Brighton to bring the score back to 2-2, only for United to win it at the very end. They return to the Amex Stadium on Wednesday for a third-round League Cup game.

Solskjaer conceded that Brighton “created the most chances”, but praised his side’s determination. “The spirit and the character of the boys – I don’t question that at all,” he said. “The sharpness and the fitness might not be there and the form, but it’s going to come. We have three to four weeks catching up to do. The more 90 minutes we get the sharper we will get.”

He praised Marcus Rashford, who scored a fine goal to give United a 2-1 lead before the hour. “He’s getting better and better,” Solskjaer said. “I had a little bit of a go at him for a tackle that he [evaded]. I think his reactions and sharpness were getting better. He is more direct. His confidence is getting there.”

Brighton manager Graham Potter said that his team’s performance had been “amazing, as well as we have played”. He questioned why the game went on much longer after March had made the score 2-2. In the first half, Maupay had scored a penalty and United had equalised when Lewis Dunk scored an own goal. The Var Simon Hooper also recommended Kavanagh review a decision to give a penalty against Paul Pogba, which the referee reversed.

Potter said: “We felt we had scored with the last kick. There couldn’t have been much time left. The referees are responsible for time, that’s their job. We are just very disappointed.” He added: “We were very sore to lose but we have to be philosophical and focus on the performance of the team.”