Manchester United defeated Brighton 2-0 in their final Premier League fixture of the season on Sunday afternoon as goals from Diogo Dalot and Rasmus Hojlund gave them the perfect springboard for the FA Cup final.
Brighton were by far the better side in the first-half with Valentin Barco forcing a save from Andre Onana and Joao Pedro drilling a low effort just wide of the far post. United's only opportunity of the half came when Scott McTominay blazed over the bar after a brilliant counter-attack.
With news of Newcastle's comfortable victory over Brentford filtering through, Erik ten Hag turned attention to the FA Cup final with Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez both replaced on the hour mark.
It didn't stop them from finding the net though, with Diogo Dalot the unlikely goal scorer when he latched onto a brilliant pass by Casemiro to give his side the lead midway through the second-half.
Brighton continued to push for an equaliser but found themselves two goals behind when substitute Rasmus Hojlund scored a brilliant individual goal to seal the win for his side.
Despite the win, Newcastle's victory means Ten Hag's side only hopes of qualifying for Europe next reason rely on them defeating Man City in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium next weekend.
Here is how we rated the United players:
9. Amad - 6
Regressed from recent performances with a quiet showing on the right wing, though his directness did cause a few problems. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
10. Alejandro Garnacho - 6
Overall he was wasteful in the final third and made some poor decisions. He's another who is in desperate need of a rest. | Manchester United via Getty Images Photo: Manchester United via Getty Images
11. Bruno Fernandes - 4
A really wasteful performance from the talisman after his heroics in midweek. Replaced before the hour mark, but that will be to rest him for the FA Cup final. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
12. Jonny Evans - 6
He brought a physical presence to the backline when he came on for Martinez and proved his worth once again. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images