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This was supposed to be a day about a former Manchester United midfielder’s return to Old Trafford – and help revive their fortunes.

In the end, it was one of their ex-strikers – one of interim United manager Darren Fletcher’s former team-mates – who had cause for celebration.

As Fletcher’s second game in charge ended in a disappointing defeat – following on from the Premier League draw at Burnley – Danny Welbeck returned to haunt his old club yet again and send Brighton through to the FA Cup fourth round.

The 35-year-old, who spent 13 years at his hometown club before joining Arsenal in 2014, was typically gracious about Fletcher, who left United in 2015.

“He helped me massively as a young player at Man Utd,” he said.

This may well be Fletcher’s final match during his spell as United’s interim manager. He is not the first to be hurt by Welbeck and may not be the last.

Having grown up in Longsight, less than five miles from Old Trafford, and come through the academy, Welbeck was part of the club’s most recent Premier League title win under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.

He had struggled for minutes under manager Louis van Gaal, with the arrival of Colombian Radamel Falcao the final straw.

Since then Welbeck, who still takes Ferguson’s calls like Fletcher, has made a habit of sending reminders to United managers and suits alike.

He has now scored eight goals against United since leaving – the joint most he has scored against any club across his 17-year senior career.

When he did leave the pitch on Sunday he was applauded by all sides of Old Trafford – by those supporting players in red as well as blue and white.

“I remember Welbz when he first joined United and he was a terrific talent then,” Phil Jones, another ex-team-mate of Welbeck and Fletcher, told BBC Sport.

Welbeck also played a pivotal role in Brighton’s opener, with his driving run and chipped cross resulting in Brajan Gruda’s goal after Georginio Rutter’s shot was blocked on the line by Patrick Dorgu.

In scoring his 64th-minute goal, the man capped 42 times by England showed composure, skill and efficiency – often lacking at United since he left.

His first touch took Gruda’s pass out of his feet, while his second placed the ball into the top left corner.

“I knew where the defenders are and I was like, ‘I have to get a touch and the second touch has to be a shot on goal’,” he told TNT Sports.

“It has to be a perfect touch, a little bit away from the defender. It was nice to get that clean connection.”

Since leaving Manchester, the Gunners and a spell at Watford, Welbeck has played an increasingly senior role at Brighton, who he joined in 2020.

“To describe him best is to say that he is a role model on the pitch, beside it, a great connector,” said Seagulls manager Fabian Hurzeler.

“He is a great goalscorer, he is there in the right moment. He missed a big chance but good goalscorers never give up, they are always ready.”

Jones was similarly impressed by his performance.

“Today he was incredible,” said the former England centre-back.

“The way he handles himself, the way he carries himself, the way he lives his life right and dedicates himself to football.

“He epitomises that for any young kid watching, the way he goes about his work.”

Welbeck turned 35 in November and this goal was his ninth this season.

The 11 he scored in 2024-25 campaign was the most since his breakout year at Old Trafford in 2012 when he netted 12.

“I have good genetics. My mum and dad blessed me with good genes.

“I work hard every single day. I eat well and prepare well for every single training session.

“When I was younger I played left wing, right, number 10, as a nine, with experience playing the games, going through injuries, you come back and it is hard to get into the rhythm.

“Touch wood I have not had many injuries the last few years. Long may it continue.”

The decisive goal at Old Trafford will also bring calls for Welbeck to make this summer’s England squad at the World Cup back to the surface.

The man himself, who won the last of his international caps in 2018, avoided getting involved in the chat.

“I am just focusing on the here and now,” he added. “I know football can change at the click of your fingers.”

But Jones and former United striker Dion Dublin were in no mood to rule it out.

“We keep talking about number nines but if there’s anybody who can contribute as well as Harry Kane this summer, could he be that guy? He’d certainly be a pick for me,” said Jones.

“He’s still got all of the qualities, he’s still strong, still quick and is scoring goals for fun at the minute.”

Dublin added: “The only way you get on the plane as a centre-forward is if you’re scoring goals at the time the squad is picked and you’re doing exactly what the manager wants.

“And as a centre-forward myself, his hold-up play’s good, so that’s fine. His link-up play’s good, so he’s bringing people in.

“He doesn’t mind the physical side of the game, he’ll go back and defend corners as well – and he’s getting goals.

This was supposed to be a day about a former Manchester United midfielder’s return to Old Trafford – and help revive their fortunes.

In the end, it was one of their ex-strikers – one of interim United manager Darren Fletcher’s former team-mates – who had cause for celebration.

As Fletcher’s second game in charge ended in a disappointing defeat – following on from the Premier League draw at Burnley – Danny Welbeck returned to haunt his old club yet again and send Brighton through to the FA Cup fourth round.

The 35-year-old, who spent 13 years at his hometown club before joining Arsenal in 2014, was typically gracious about Fletcher, who left United in 2015.

“He helped me massively as a young player at Man Utd,” he said.

This may well be Fletcher’s final match during his spell as United’s interim manager. He is not the first to be hurt by Welbeck and may not be the last.

Having grown up in Longsight, less than five miles from Old Trafford, and come through the academy, Welbeck was part of the club’s most recent Premier League title win under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.

He had struggled for minutes under manager Louis van Gaal, with the arrival of Colombian Radamel Falcao the final straw.

Since then Welbeck, who still takes Ferguson’s calls like Fletcher, has made a habit of sending reminders to United managers and suits alike.

He has now scored eight goals against United since leaving – the joint most he has scored against any club across his 17-year senior career.

When he did leave the pitch on Sunday he was applauded by all sides of Old Trafford – by those supporting players in red as well as blue and white.

“I remember Welbz when he first joined United and he was a terrific talent then,” Phil Jones, another ex-team-mate of Welbeck and Fletcher, told BBC Sport.

Welbeck also played a pivotal role in Brighton’s opener, with his driving run and chipped cross resulting in Brajan Gruda’s goal after Georginio Rutter’s shot was blocked on the line by Patrick Dorgu.

In scoring his 64th-minute goal, the man capped 42 times by England showed composure, skill and efficiency – often lacking at United since he left.

His first touch took Gruda’s pass out of his feet, while his second placed the ball into the top left corner.

“I knew where the defenders are and I was like, ‘I have to get a touch and the second touch has to be a shot on goal’,” he told TNT Sports.

“It has to be a perfect touch, a little bit away from the defender. It was nice to get that clean connection.”

Since leaving Manchester, the Gunners and a spell at Watford, Welbeck has played an increasingly senior role at Brighton, who he joined in 2020.

“To describe him best is to say that he is a role model on the pitch, beside it, a great connector,” said Seagulls manager Fabian Hurzeler.

“He is a great goalscorer, he is there in the right moment. He missed a big chance but good goalscorers never give up, they are always ready.”

Jones was similarly impressed by his performance.

“Today he was incredible,” said the former England centre-back.

“The way he handles himself, the way he carries himself, the way he lives his life right and dedicates himself to football.

“He epitomises that for any young kid watching, the way he goes about his work.”

Welbeck turned 35 in November and this goal was his ninth this season.

The 11 he scored in 2024-25 campaign was the most since his breakout year at Old Trafford in 2012 when he netted 12.

“I have good genetics. My mum and dad blessed me with good genes.

“I work hard every single day. I eat well and prepare well for every single training session.

“When I was younger I played left wing, right, number 10, as a nine, with experience playing the games, going through injuries, you come back and it is hard to get into the rhythm.

“Touch wood I have not had many injuries the last few years. Long may it continue.”

The decisive goal at Old Trafford will also bring calls for Welbeck to make this summer’s England squad at the World Cup back to the surface.

The man himself, who won the last of his international caps in 2018, avoided getting involved in the chat.

“I am just focusing on the here and now,” he added. “I know football can change at the click of your fingers.”

But Jones and former United striker Dion Dublin were in no mood to rule it out.

“We keep talking about number nines but if there’s anybody who can contribute as well as Harry Kane this summer, could he be that guy? He’d certainly be a pick for me,” said Jones.

“He’s still got all of the qualities, he’s still strong, still quick and is scoring goals for fun at the minute.”

Dublin added: “The only way you get on the plane as a centre-forward is if you’re scoring goals at the time the squad is picked and you’re doing exactly what the manager wants.

“And as a centre-forward myself, his hold-up play’s good, so that’s fine. His link-up play’s good, so he’s bringing people in.

“He doesn’t mind the physical side of the game, he’ll go back and defend corners as well – and he’s getting goals.

Life moves fast at Manchester United.

When Brighton last visited Old Trafford 11 weeks ago, a third successive win seemed to be a clear sign of a corner being turned under Ruben Amorim.

Wind forward to the present day.

The grey clouds enveloped Old Trafford and the rain fell during Sunday’s FA Cup third-round defeat by Brighton. It was a fitting metaphor.

Amorim is gone, United have fallen at the first hurdle in both domestic cup competitions for the first time since 1981-82. They are condemned to a 40-game season, the fewest they have played since 1914-15.

The world’s oldest person, 116-year-old Ethel Caterham, was five at the time, so even she probably doesn’t remember it.

After a two-game trip to Asia at the end of last season to plug a financial hole, now the mooted mid-season trip to Saudi Arabia has to become more likely – as there is a 10-day window in United’s season in February and March, given the FA Cup fourth and fifth round weekends are, for them, blank.

Before that, United host Manchester City next Saturday with no manager in place to lift their “fragile” confidence.

They have one win in seven games, a fortunate triumph against Newcastle on 26 December.

Out of 13 matches since the previous Brighton visit, they have enjoyed three victories.

For context, Bradford Park Avenue and The Wednesday were two of the teams United played in that 1914-15 season.

It was 1948 before they won the FA Cup again and 1952 before they won the league, doing so for the first time under Sir Matt Busby.

The 41-year gap between titles was by far the longest in their history.

By the end of this season, it will be 13 years since United last won the league – half the gap between Busby’s final success in 1967 and Sir Alex Ferguson’s first in 1993.

Yet there is no sense United are on the right track.

Interim boss Darren Fletcher tried to say the right things as he summed up United’s FA Cup exit. But there is no certainty what he wants for the club will come to fruition.

“Don’t waste the season,” he added. “That would be the challenge I would set.

“It’s not a great moment, let’s be honest. We are out of the cups early.

“But true character shows itself at difficult times.

“There’s still a Champions League place to fight for – and I still think that can be achieved this season.

“It’s probably not what fans want to hear about Manchester United because we should be winning cups and challenging for the Premier League. But it is probably the object of this season.

“All the players’ focus and energy should go into improving as a team – and improving quickly.

The problem at Manchester United is that the noise is huge.

There is no shortage of opinion on the club from within the game, including a host of legendary ex-United players – from Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney: from Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, who sat alongside Sir Alex Ferguson watching this sorry mess unfold.

Whoever replaces Fletcher must be able to deal with that reality.

Amorim said he felt United’s ownership was influenced too much by external noise. Failure to win, an inevitability for United in their current guise, just increases the pressure.

Former United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his one-time coach Michael Carrick are the frontrunners.

Both have played for United. Both know the pressures that come with the job.

Fletcher says he has no idea what happens now, beyond his own meeting with club officials on Monday.

“I have to report tomorrow morning to Carrington, that is all I know,” he said.

“I will find out tomorrow morning. I have had zero indications.”

There was a theory Fletcher might put himself into contention with positive results against Burnley and Brighton.

That did not happen.

Instead, Fletcher is set to discover whether he will remain within the first-team set-up or drop back to his substantive role with the Under-18 squad.

Fletcher genuinely hopes for the best. You could tell from the emotion in his final answer as interim boss.

“It is a massive responsibility to lead this club,” he said.

“I have given it my best and I am disappointed not to win a game.

“I think there are some good things there but ultimately it wasn’t enough. I am more disappointed about that than anyone.

“I care for the club, I want the club to do well and I want the players to do well. I mean that.

“I have had my time as a player and loved every minute of it.

Life moves fast at Manchester United.

When Brighton last visited Old Trafford 11 weeks ago, a third successive win seemed to be a clear sign of a corner being turned under Ruben Amorim.

Wind forward to the present day.

The grey clouds enveloped Old Trafford and the rain fell during Sunday’s FA Cup third-round defeat by Brighton. It was a fitting metaphor.

Amorim is gone, United have fallen at the first hurdle in both domestic cup competitions for the first time since 1981-82. They are condemned to a 40-game season, the fewest they have played since 1914-15.

The world’s oldest person, 116-year-old Ethel Caterham, was five at the time, so even she probably doesn’t remember it.

After a two-game trip to Asia at the end of last season to plug a financial hole, now the mooted mid-season trip to Saudi Arabia has to become more likely – as there is a 10-day window in United’s season in February and March, given the FA Cup fourth and fifth round weekends are, for them, blank.

Before that, United host Manchester City next Saturday with no manager in place to lift their “fragile” confidence.

They have one win in seven games, a fortunate triumph against Newcastle on 26 December.

Out of 13 matches since the previous Brighton visit, they have enjoyed three victories.

For context, Bradford Park Avenue and The Wednesday were two of the teams United played in that 1914-15 season.

It was 1948 before they won the FA Cup again and 1952 before they won the league, doing so for the first time under Sir Matt Busby.

The 41-year gap between titles was by far the longest in their history.

By the end of this season, it will be 13 years since United last won the league – half the gap between Busby’s final success in 1967 and Sir Alex Ferguson’s first in 1993.

Yet there is no sense United are on the right track.

Interim boss Darren Fletcher tried to say the right things as he summed up United’s FA Cup exit. But there is no certainty what he wants for the club will come to fruition.

“Don’t waste the season,” he added. “That would be the challenge I would set.

“It’s not a great moment, let’s be honest. We are out of the cups early.

“But true character shows itself at difficult times.

“There’s still a Champions League place to fight for – and I still think that can be achieved this season.

“It’s probably not what fans want to hear about Manchester United because we should be winning cups and challenging for the Premier League. But it is probably the object of this season.

“All the players’ focus and energy should go into improving as a team – and improving quickly.

The problem at Manchester United is that the noise is huge.

There is no shortage of opinion on the club from within the game, including a host of legendary ex-United players – from Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney: from Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, who sat alongside Sir Alex Ferguson watching this sorry mess unfold.

Whoever replaces Fletcher must be able to deal with that reality.

Amorim said he felt United’s ownership was influenced too much by external noise. Failure to win, an inevitability for United in their current guise, just increases the pressure.

Former United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his one-time coach Michael Carrick are the frontrunners.

Both have played for United. Both know the pressures that come with the job.

Fletcher says he has no idea what happens now, beyond his own meeting with club officials on Monday.

“I have to report tomorrow morning to Carrington, that is all I know,” he said.

“I will find out tomorrow morning. I have had zero indications.”

There was a theory Fletcher might put himself into contention with positive results against Burnley and Brighton.

That did not happen.

Instead, Fletcher is set to discover whether he will remain within the first-team set-up or drop back to his substantive role with the Under-18 squad.

Fletcher genuinely hopes for the best. You could tell from the emotion in his final answer as interim boss.

“It is a massive responsibility to lead this club,” he said.

“I have given it my best and I am disappointed not to win a game.

“I think there are some good things there but ultimately it wasn’t enough. I am more disappointed about that than anyone.

“I care for the club, I want the club to do well and I want the players to do well. I mean that.

“I have had my time as a player and loved every minute of it.

Investec Champions Cup Pool 1

Saracens (17) 20

Tries: Segun 2, T Willis Con: Burke Pen: Farrell

Toulouse (7) 14

Saracens produced an oustanding performance in testing conditions to beat Toulouse 20-14 and all but secure their place in the last 16 of the Champions Cup.

Saracens held a blunt review of their stuttering season after a poor defeat at Leicester last weekend, saying they had “confronted what was wrong” and were ready to “do the talking on the field” against the six-time European champions.

Mark McCall’s side did just that at a wet and windy StoneX, fronting up to the star-studded Toulouse side with their best display of the season.

Number eight Tom Willis, whose elder brother Jack was in Toulouse’s back row, gave another stellar performance to underline how much he will be missed when he moves to Bordeaux at the end of the season.

Rotimi Segun scored two of their tries while Willis bagged the other as Saracens scored 17 unanswered first-half points to take control of the match.

Sarries will bid for the top spot in Pool 1 when they face group leaders Glasgow Warriors away next Sunday, but a losing bonus point would be enough to secure their progress to the knockout stage.

Things looked ominous when Toulouse fly-half Blair Kinghorn scored the opening try following sustained pressure, but Saracens responded in style with three tries in 10 minutes.

The first came from a moment of Theo McFarland brilliance. The Samoan flanker charged down Antoine Dupont’s kick and raced forward to gather the ball. Jamie George and Willis took over the charge before the ball was moved left to Rotini Segun to finish.

Three-time champions Saracens almost doubled their lead immediately. Fly-half Fergus Burke broke the defensive line with a brilliant burst of speed and sent a perfect kick through only for Alex Lozowski to fumble the bouncing ball as he dived over the line.

Lozowski, making his comeback from an Achilles tendon injury, made amends with an outrageous dummy pass that released Segun, who raced past his marker to score his second.

Saracens forwards struggled early on against the huge Toulouse pack, but with the momentum now in their favour the hosts surged towards the line again. Willis stretched over the line, letting out a massive roar as he rose to his feet to salute his team-mates having helped his side secure a healthy 17-7 lead.

Toulouse scored early in the second half through wing Matthis Lebel but with conditions deteriorating rapidly, and their captain Dupont strangely quiet, that was their last score of the game.

Willis made a crucial turnover to prevent a possible try but otherwise the French league leaders lacked any sort of fluency in attack.

Owen Farrell and Ben Earl came on to lend their experience and former England captain Farrell stretched the lead to six points with a penalty.

Man of the match Tom Willis spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live about the challenge of facing his brother Jack and how Saracens responded to their defeat by Leicester:

“It was a brilliant game to be part of, but also a bit of a weird and emotional day playing against my brother. He banged me early on, I knew he was dialled in for it. He’s a brilliant player and caused us havoc at the breakdown as always.

“I saw him on Friday and Saturday but a few hours before kick-off he went a bit quiet. I tried to wind him up bit it didn’t work.

“I think beating an incredibly strong Toulouse side shows we stepped up. It’s just about finding the consistency for the rest of the season

“Mark challenged us to step up but not pick and choose our moments. He wanted us to be physical as a team, be energetic and work for each other. I think we did that.

Saracens: Daly; Caluori, Lozowski, Hartley, Segun; Burke,Van Zyl; Mawi, George, Street, Itoje (capt), Tizard, McFarland, Gonzalez, Willis.

Replacements: Hadfield, Carre, Riccioni, Onyeama-Christie,Earl, Bracken, Farrell, Malins.

Toulouse: Ramos; Delibes, Costes, Chocobares, Lebel; Kinghorn, Dupont (capt); Ainu’u, Marchand, Aldegheri, Flament, Meafou, Willis, Jelonch, Roumat.

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)

Assistant referees: Ru Campbell (Sco), Federico Vedovelli (Ita)