Manchester United have been in bad form this season, but one player who seemed to have come out of this season with his reputation intact, if not increased, has been David de Gea. The Spanish keeper had been in great shot-stopping form earlier in the season and seemed to have improved after a number of poor seasons at Old Trafford.
However, with the impending arrival of Erik ten Hag, some fans think that De Gea's days at the club may be numbered. And in United's 4-0 loss against Brighton, it became increasingly more apparent that the Spanish keeper has serious limitations.
It will also not help De Gea that his apparent improvement in shot-stopping may also be put under a microscope. After conceding four goals against Brighton, United have now conceded more than they ever have done in the Premier League era — trumping the 54 goals that they conceded in the 18/19 season.
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And it didn't help that while De Gea was having a nightmare down one end of the pitch, Brighton's Robert Sanchez was showcasing everything United fans had been asking from their own Spanish keeper down the other. He kept a clean sheet, saving shots when it was asked of him, but it was his distribution when Brighton were in possession that really caught the eye.
Sanchez consistently offered himself as a passing outlet for the Brighton defenders and it allowed them to play their way out of trouble when United applied pressure. This is something that will surely be asked of a United goalkeeper under Ten Hag.
Sanchez nearly provided an assist for his strikers, as Raphael Varane misjudged a long kick up the field and Brighton were unfortunate not to convert the chance. It was a complete performance by Sanchez as De Gea flailed behind his own backline.
United fans will be well aware that this isn't the first time that Sanchez has got one up on his compatriot. When Luis Enrique picked his Spain squad for the international break this year, De Gea's name was absent and in his place was the Brighton keeper, Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simon and Brentford's David Raya, who at this point had only just returned from injury.
An increasing number of United fans are starting to feel that De Gea's time at Old Trafford may be coming to end. Many took to social media to state this and also give praise to the Brighton keeper who was showing just how behind United's number one actually is. Here's what they said:
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