Manchester United v Brighton: FA Cup third round – live

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Philip Cornwall

It is hard for anyone much under 40 to grasp how important the FA Cup final used to be, how simultaneously desirable going to the Wembley showpiece was to an English football fanatic growing up in the 1970s and 80s. One of only two matches you knew would be televised live (along with England v Scotland), it overshadowed league football in a way unthinkable today.

In 1983, aged 15, I travelled to watch the 1983 final at the home of a Manchester United-supporting friend who lived at the far end of the London Underground line that runs through Wembley. Neither my friend Simon nor I settled down to watch United play Brighton with any thought of what might happen next.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has had face-to-face talks with Manchester United regarding becoming the interim manager until the end of the season.

The Norwegian is vying with Michael Carrick for the role and wass expected to meet Omar Berrada, United’s chief executive, and Jason Wilcox, the director of football, at the club’s Carrington training base on Saturday.

Carrick is thought to have been interviewed on Thursday by Berrada and Wilcox. While the former United midfielder and Solskjær are the favourites, the current caretaker manager, Darren Fletcher, cannot be completely ruled out. The Scot oversaw United’s 2-2 draw at Burnley on Wednesday and will again take charge of Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Brighton at Old Trafford.

Preamble

And so to Old Trafford for one of the ties of the FA Cup third round: Manchester United v Brighton, a repeat of the famous 1983 final. Old Trafford has become the theatre of nostalgia since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, and here’s one for the historians. If United go out today, their chances of winning a trophy will be over by 11 January – the earliest such date since World War II.

Brighton are always awkward opponents for United – they’ve won six of the last nine games, including three of the last four at Old Trafford – and their form has picked up after a pre-Christmas slump. It should be a close, exciting game. Don’t be surprised if it goes the distance – just like the FA Cup semi-final of 2023, not to mention the final of 1983.

Kick off 4.30pm.