The Portuguese no.7 pounced onto a loose ball from a well-timed Scott McTominay tackle and he quickly drove towards goal, cutting inside between two Seagulls defenders before dispatching an unerring finish into the back of the net.
It was Ronaldo’s first goal of 2022 and his celebration in front of our fans showed how much the moment meant to him. His delight was also clear to see in added time, too, when his compatriot Bruno Fernandes scored our second to clinch an important top-flight victory over Brighton.
The result moved United back into fourth place and has provided everybody with a timely boost following a run of three frustrating 1-1 draws across all competitions, with the earliest of those resulting in a penalty shootout defeat to Middlesbrough in the Emirates FA Cup fourth round.