Manchester United vs Brentford Review
Manchester United came from behind to secure their first Premier League home victory since the season’s opening day, defeating Brentford 2-1 at Old Trafford. Brentford, known for their fast starts in the league, dominated possession in a strong opening but failed to score within the first two minutes for the first time in five matches.
Kevin Schade missed a golden opportunity to put pressure on United with a miskick from six yards. Brentford’s captain, Christian Nørgaard, then forced a fantastic save from André Onana with a powerful shot from the edge of the box that was heading for the top corner.
The home team was slow and unexciting, surpassing 300 minutes without scoring a Premier League goal, and they found themselves trailing in a controversial situation. Matthijs de Ligt had already left the field twice for treatment on a head injury he suffered in the 10th minute when referee Samuel Barrott sent him off again just as Brentford was about to take a corner during first-half stoppage time. While De Ligt was arguing on the sidelines, his teammates allowed Ethan Pinnock to slip into the six-yard box and score with a powerful header past Onana in goal for United.
Garnacho had been involved in all of the few promising moments for The Red Devils in the first half, and he equalized just two minutes after the break. A deep cross from Marcus Rashford was volleyed by the winger, whose powerful yet precise shot left Brentford’s goalkeeper Mark Flekken helpless. Erik ten Hag’s team began to display the urgency and effort that had been lacking in the first half, forcing Flekken to save shots from both Garnacho and Casemiro from distance.
Brentford seemed to have withstood United’s pressure as the half progressed. However, a subtle flick from Bruno Fernandes allowed Rasmus Højlund to break free towards the goal, and the Danish forward displayed excellent composure by lifting the ball over the advancing Flekken to turn the game around. Once they took the lead, the Red Devils played a more controlled game, even though they couldn’t score a third goal to secure the win. Nevertheless, they avoided any late threats and achieved a crucial victory, coming from behind to defeat Brentford 2-1 at Old Trafford for the second consecutive season.
