The Selection Puzzle
Manchester United signed off from their Premier League campaign with a 3-0 victory at Brighton on Sunday, a result that handed the visitors a record and left the Seagulls settling for the Conference League.
Patrick Dorgu opened the scoring before Bryan Mbeumo doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time. Bruno Fernandes, who had just broken the Premier League assist record with his 21st of the season, added the third early in the second half.
The record did not need much decoration; it already did the talking.
The Fitness Questions
Fernandes moved clear of Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry's previous mark when he set up Dorgu's opener, then capped a remarkable individual season by finding the net himself. It was a fitting capstone for a player crowned Premier League player of the season.
Brighton began the final day with a chance at Europa League qualification but slipped to eighth place, meaning they will play in European club football's tertiary competition for only the second time in their history. The Seagulls offered little during a deflating end to the campaign.
For United, the focus shifts to rebuilding. Michael Carrick, who signed a two-year contract on Friday, has overseen a revival that yielded 12 wins from 17 top-flight games since he took over from Ruben Amorim. The former Red Devils midfielder will now turn his attention to bolstering his squad for Champions League football.
The Warm-Up Before It Counts
That the match had little riding on it made the spectacle quieter than the stakes warranted, though the record books will remember it regardless.