Kaoru Mitoma struggled to make an impact in Brighton’s defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi final (The FA via Getty)
Kaoru Mitoma has described his performance against Aaron Wan-Bissaka as a ‘complete defeat’ following Brighton’s loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi final on Sunday.
In a tight game at Wembley, the match ended goalless after 90 minutes and extra time, while Erik ten Hag’s side went on to win the penalty shootout 7-6.
Mitoma, meanwhile, struggled to make an impact as Wan-Bissaka delivered an impressive display on the right side of United’s defence.
And the Japan international, who was playing against United for the first time this season, acknowledged that Wan-Bissaka was a ‘strong opponent’.
‘I regret that I didn’t score a goal despite having a few chances to do so,’ Mitoma said after Brighton’s FA Cup exit.
‘And it’s difficult to score penalties, so I think I could have done something more before that.
Kaoru Mitoma says his performance against Aaron Wan-Bissaka was a ‘complete defeat’ (Allstar Via Getty)
‘I hadn’t played against them [Manchester United] before but all of their players are of high quality individually, so we had to be careful on the counter-attacks.
‘I think the match as a whole went well but they had quality at the end.
More: Trending
‘I also need to improve. He [Wan-Bissaka] is a strong opponent, that’s what I thought while I was playing.
‘There were a lot of occasions where his legs stretched at the end, or he got the ball down at the back. I think it was a complete defeat.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
‘I think it was a complete defeat.’