Forget Benjamin Sesko, Phil Jones blown away by 'incredible' player in Man Utd vs Brighton FA Cup match

Benjamin Sesko might have had an impact for Manchester United in the FA Cup, but another player caught the eye of Phil Jones in the Brighton match on Sunday.

Manchester United’s FA Cup campaign in the 2025-26 season started and ended on the same night, with the Red Devils falling short at Old Trafford at the weekend.

Brighton knocked United out of the FA Cup in the third round and Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls side punched their ticket to the fourth round of the competition.

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Man Utd chased the match against Brighton after the Seagulls took a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford, with Brajan Gruda opening the scoring in the first half of the FA Cup tie.

Fabian Hurzeler watched on from the Old Trafford dugout as former United striker Danny Welbeck scored against the Red Devils to put his side 2-0 up on Sunday.

However, Benjamin Sesko handed the Red Devils a lifeline after the 22-year-old Slovenia international squeezed a header past Jason Steele’s near-post.

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Phil Jones singles out former Man Utd striker Danny Welbeck ahead of Benjamin Sesko after Brighton’s FA Cup win

Danny Welbeck produced a stunning finish into the top-left corner of the Manchester United net and Senne Lammens was helpless to deny the in-form Brighton striker.

The 35-year-old ex-United youth academy product, who left Old Trafford in 2014, has deeply impressed with his impact for the Seagulls in the 2025-26 campaign.

Despite Benjamin Sesko’s impact for Man Utd in the match, Phil Jones’ praise was lavished on former Red Devils teammate Welbeck after Brighton’s FA Cup win.

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“Today he was incredible,” Jones told BBC Sport.

“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.”

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Welbeck was brought into the United first-team squad under former manager Sir Alex Ferguson and was tipped as a long-term prospect at Old Trafford.

However, the Brighton striker struggled to cement his place in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson at the Red Devils and Welbeck was later sold to Arsenal in 2014.

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Jones has insisted that the Red Devils would “take” Welbeck “back in a heartbeat” if they had the chance to sign the former Arsenal and Watford forward.

“I remember ‘Welbz’ when he first joined United and he was a terrific talent then,” he said.

“Should he have left Old Trafford? I think a lot of fans were sad to see him leave.

“You look now and I think they’d take him back in a heartbeat.”

Former Man Utd and England striker Welbeck has netted eight times in 20 Premier League appearances for Brighton in the 2025-26 campaign so far.

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