November 25th, 2017 and Manchester United are goalless against Brighton & Hove Albion at a freezing, rainy, uneasy Old Trafford.



Victor Lindelof has started at centre half alongside Chris Smalling, but with the game tight after 55 minutes, the crowd flat and United coming off a defeat at Basel, winger Anthony Knockaert receives a clearance near the halfway line in a dangerous position ahead of United’s advanced midfielders.



Lindelof moves forward, exposing half a pitch between himself and David de Gea. The Swede is starting only his second Premier League game — and even then only because of injuries to Phil Jones and Eric Bailly.



Prior to that, he’d only appeared in the final minute at Anfield and on 67 minutes at Huddersfield when he replaced the stricken Jones. That debut performance as a substitute didn’t go well and he was culpable for the first Huddersfield goal in a 2-1 defeat.







Lindelof was...