The defeat left coach Eric ten Hag’s side in fourth place on 63 points, 4 points behind fifth-placed Liverpool on 59, but United are one game clear of their Merseyside rivals.
With the victory, Brighton moved up to sixth place on 55 points, two games behind Liverpool, which could see them move up to fifth.
The win was revenge of sorts for Brighton, who lost to Manchester United on penalties in the FA Cup semi-final 11 days ago.
The hosts controlled the ball and could have taken the lead in the fourth minute when Japan winger Kaoru Mituma controlled a loose ball from Victor Lindelof but fired his shot straight into David De Gea’s face.
Mituma was a threat throughout, creating several chances before forcing Danny Welbeck to shoot high and wide from the edge of the box early in the second half as United struggled to get the ball through the defense opponent.
After being cautioned in the first half, United midfielder Casemiro was lucky not to receive a second yellow card when he fouled McCallister at the edge of the penalty area in the second half.
Tempers flared in the 68th minute as United winger Anthony, furious at not getting a free-kick, was penalized for a foul on McCallister before engaging in a showdown with Louis Dunk that gave to both players yellow cards.
Brighton continued the attacking pressure in search of the winning goal, as substitutes Sully Marsh and McAllister pushed Spain goalkeeper De Gea into great saves as game time approached.
United looked close to equalizing when Luke Shaw touched the ball with his hand inside the penalty area, which was evident after looking at the video assistant referee’s ‘mouse’ technique. McCallister netted a penalty in the 9th minute of stoppage time to secure the win.
“I’m really happy and euphoric with the performance and the result,” Brighton manager Roberto De Tserbi told Sky Sports, adding: “We should have won the (FA Cup) semi-final, but we lost on penalties. Today we won a penalty.”
The United defender Shaw took responsibility for his mistake, describing it as a “ridiculous mistake which cost us a point”, but said his side were still on track to qualify for the Champions League next season.
“Teams around us are picking up points, (but) we still have a game on the way and it’s within reach,” he told Sky Sports.
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