After 588 minutes of
Football and 47 days, the great drought is over.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the scorer of more goals than anyone in the history of football, scored a goal, his first of 2022 and his first as a 37‑year‑old. In the process a serial
Champions League winner put
Manchester United in the position to return to the European elite.
![Cristiano Ronaldo ends drought to spark Manchester United win over Brighton](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/8f762e0541772537be6dad624c28cd613ee623c1/191_257_3200_1920/master/3200.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=5d1e58c827515821a8638de7fb7852b3)
Ronaldo had not gone seven games without a goal since 2008-09 and Brighton have never won at Old Trafford. The first half suggested history could be made but Albion ended up ruing a disastrous three-minute spell when Ronaldo struck and Lewis Dunk was sent off. And on a night when the other Manchester team vanquished Portuguese opponents, two Sporting alumni sent United up to fourth after Bruno Fernandes joined his compatriot on the scoresheet.