Manchester United’s summer signings were in full display as they clinched a victory against Brighton, marking their third consecutive Premier League win. The Red Devils seem to have turned the tide following a disappointing start to the season, with goals from new recruits propelling them to a 4-2 triumph over Brighton. Senne Lammens demonstrated composure between the sticks while Matheus Cunha initiated the scoring and Bryan Mbeumo netted a brace in the second half.

Mbeumo, who joined the Old Trafford ranks for an initial £65million after scoring 20 top-tier goals for Brentford last year, appears to be a savvy acquisition. However, head coach Ruben Amorim will have to make do without the Cameroonian for at least two matches. Express Sport provides the latest updates from Old Trafford, including a retrospective on head coach Amorim’s ruthless first transfer window and Rio Ferdinand’s claim about a former United forward.

Bryan Mbeumo set for absence

Mbeumo is increasingly becoming a crucial component of Amorim’s attack, operating to the right of a central striker alongside fellow newcomer Cunha.

He has already scored four league goals and seems to be growing even more prolific as he settles into life in Manchester. However, he will soon depart the club to represent his country at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Cameroon have secured their spot in the international tournament, which kicks off in late December in Morocco. Mbeumo’s national team will commence their group stage campaign on December 24.

Mbeumo is set to miss the club’s upcoming clashes with Newcastle and Wolves due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, with the group stage running until December 31. If Cameroon progresses further in the tournament, with the final scheduled for January 18, Mbeumo could also miss at least three more matches, including the highly anticipated Manchester derby on January 17.

Two stars axed

Amorim, who took over as head coach at Old Trafford nearly a year ago, made some significant changes to the squad upon his arrival. It quickly became clear that certain forwards, such as Marcus Rashford, were not fitting into his system.

Underperforming under previous manager Erik ten Hag, Rashford was deemed unsuitable for Amorim’s starting XI and was loaned out to Aston Villa in January. He is now making waves at Barcelona, with any potential return to Manchester seemingly off the table.

Antony, the Brazilian forward who cost a staggering £86m when he was signed from Ajax for Ten Hag, was another player who didn’t impress Amorim. After arriving last November, Antony was swiftly loaned out to Real Betis and subsequently left on a permanent deal this summer.

Welbeck second to Kane

Former United striker Danny Welbeck was praised by Rio Ferdinand for his brilliant free-kick against Brighton, which sparked a brief comeback and brought the score to 3-1 in the second half. A late goal from Charalampos Kostoulas made it 3-2 before Mbeumo sealed the victory with a decisive finish.

The English striker was once a promising talent in United’s youth system, consistently impressing before making a move to Arsenal in 2014. His ex-colleague Ferdinand is of the opinion that he currently ranks as the second-best English forward, trailing only behind skipper Harry Kane.

“He’s second to Harry Kane. No, seriously. No experience can do different types of things on the pitch for you,” Ferdinand expressed on his YouTube channel.

“He can run behind if need be. Like we saw even at Old Trafford at the weekend, he can run behind. He can come short and link play as well as anybody outside of Harry Kane. Like he’s an all-round footballer.”