Brighton vs Manchester United: We’re about to learn how far Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have come

United embark on a run of games against teams they struggled against earlier this season, but there is reason to believe they are a different proposition now

As Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ran the rule over Manchester United’s run-in, beginning with Tuesday night’s long trip to play Brighton and Hove Albion, he pointed out that it might not be as straightforward as it seems.

Yes, six of United’s seven remaining Premier League opponents may be 10th or lower and four of them may be mired in a battle against relegation, but these are exactly the sort of games that Solskjaer’s side have struggled with.

“Brighton, we’ve lost the last two when we’ve gone down there,” he noted. “We’ve got Bournemouth, who we’ve lost to. We’ve got Aston Villa, who we drew with at home. We’ve got Palace, who we lost to at home. We’ve got West Ham that we’ve lost to.”

He forgot Southampton, who they drew with at St Mary’s in August and who visit Old Trafford next month, but the point stands.

Those results are why, despite being unbeaten in their last 14 games across all competitions and their last seven in the league, United are still somehow on course for their worst-ever Premier League finish, behind even David Moyes’ disastrous 2013-14 campaign.

That demonstrates just how poor United were before this encouraging run of form started, back when too many points were easily dropped against opponents they would typically be expected to beat. But it also shows the progress made in the time since.

There is reason to believe that United are no longer the same team that lost those games during the first half of the season. Back then, they would struggle if forced to dictate the play, as if they fundamentally did not know what to do with the ball at their feet against a deep, organised defence.

That has changed. During this 14-game run, United have only had less of the ball than their opponents in three games – the win at Stamford Bridge and the two victories over Manchester City. Otherwise, they have dominated possession and found a way to win, or at least a way not to lose.

What’s the difference? It’s hard not to point to Bruno Fernandes. Not only did his arrival in late January almost coincide exactly with United’s results dramatically improving, but he has also brought exactly what Solskjaer’s one-dimensional attack required.

Bruno Fernandes, right, celebrates with Paul Pogba (PA)

Fernandes is constantly looking to move United further up the pitch, whether that be through an ambitious through ball or a shot from distance.

Take his pass completion rate, for example. It is terrible, in relative terms, with him only finding a team-mate 70 percent of the time. It is the worst of any United player to play a significant amount of minutes this season, but it is that low because he is attempting the killer balls required to break down opponents rather than the safe passes which once stymied United’s attack.

Then there is the returning Paul Pogba, whose impact from the substitutes’ bench has recently turned a defeat into a draw and a draw into a win against Tottenham and Norwich respectively.

Pogba and Fernandes started together for the first time last week and dismantled Sheffield United who, though missing three of their established back six, nevertheless travelled to Old Trafford with the top flight’s second-best defensive record.

It has all inspired confidence that United’s run could last for a little while longer yet. When asked on Monday whether United can remain unbeaten until the end of the season, Solskjaer said: “The short answer is yes, but the long answer is that there’s more to it than that.

“Of course different things can play a part in this run but we hope to extend it and want it as long as possible. We’re just going to take one game at a time. We know there’s games every two or three days. We need a squad, everyone needs to play a part and we’re delighted with the way things are going at the moment.

“For us we just have to focus on one game at a time, win this one so we can go into the next one feeling more confident but also push on because complacency, that kicks you somewhere you don’t want to get kicked in football.”

The one caveat to United’s 14-game unbeaten run is that – while they have dispatched the likes of City and Chelsea as well as Derby and LASK Linz – they have only had a handful of meetings against middling Premier League sides scrapping for points at the wrong end of the table, the type of opponents they struggled against earlier this season.

Not anymore. Tuesday’s trip to Brighton is the first of many between now and the end of the season, and they will be an indication of just how far United have come.