Manchester United welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Old Trafford on Wednesday evening for a Carabao Cup third-round clash, with kick-off set for 8:00pm BST. Fans in the UK can watch the match for free on ITV1 and ITVX, while coverage begins at 7:30pm BST.

Where to watch

In the UK, the fixture is free-to-air on ITV1 and ITVX, and also available on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football. Sky Sports holds the primary broadcast rights for the 2026/27 Carabao Cup, with subscription plans starting from £35 a month.

Viewers in the United States can catch the action on Paramount+, with kick-off at 3:00pm ET. The Paramount+ Essential plan, which costs $8.99 a month or $89.99 a year, includes select Carabao Cup fixtures alongside Champions League and Europa League coverage.

In Australia, beIN SPORTS 2 and the beIN SPORTS Connect platform will broadcast the match, with kick-off at 5:00am AEST on Thursday. A beIN SPORTS subscription costs $16.99 a month or $169.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial available on both plans.

Match preview

Manchester United arrive at this fixture bruised after a 1-0 derby defeat to Manchester City on Sunday — a loss made all the more painful given that Phil Foden received a red card during the game. Michael Carrick's side struggled to create meaningful chances, with Bruno Fernandes unable to impose himself on proceedings, spending much of the match focused on tracking Erling Haaland rather than driving United forward.

Defensive frailty remains a concern for the hosts. With Carlos Baleba and Matthijs de Ligt sidelined through injury, Carrick has limited options to reshape his backline — and Brighton are precisely the kind of side to expose those vulnerabilities.

The visitors have been in devastating form in attack, registering 17 goals across all competitions so far this season, including four against Aston Villa and five against Coventry. Their 13 Premier League goals already mark them as one of the division's most potent offensives forces this term.

Brighton do carry a lengthy injury list of their own, which may restrict how freely they rotate. Femi Azeez could make his debut after arriving from Millwall, while Georginio Rutter is expected to return to action following a spell on the sidelines. The Seagulls have won four of their last five trips to Old Trafford, and there is little reason to expect a different outcome this week.

FourFourTwo's prediction: Manchester United 2-4 Brighton.