Manchester United 2, Brentford 1
Second half goals by Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund allowed Manchester United to record a first win in 6 games.
The Reds had not recorded a win since a 7-0 victory over Barnsley in September – over a month ago – and they used the controversial circumstances of the Brentford goal as motivation to fuel the comeback from a goal down.
Brentford had earlier threatened another shock after taking the lead at Old Trafford just before half time through an Ethan Pinnock header after referee Sam Barrott had allowed a corner to be taken while Mathijs De Ligt was off the pitch for a third time getting a head cut attended to.
The win, no matter how hard fought, will be a boon to under fire United manager Erik Ten Hag after a turbulent international break following a poor run of results.
United won the toss and chose to kick off to prevent the Bees from scoring their customary goal with in the first two minutes for the last four games. But they sacrificed the choice of kicking towards the Stretford End in the second half.
Lisandro Martinez flicked a Christian Eriksen corner goalwards and saw it saved by Mark Flekken after 22 minutes while Andre Onana’s flying save denied Christian Norgaard with a long range effort after 31 minutes.
And Christian Eriksen contrived to blaze over from 6 yards out when presented with a backheeled 1-2 from Rasmus Hojlund as United managed to find a way through the Brentford press.
Alejandro Garnacho was also wayward with his shooting when presented with a chance from a cross field ball by Marcus Rashford not long afterwards.
But for all their battling United went behind while a key defender – Mathijs De Ligt – was off the pitch for the third time getting running repairs to a cut to his head.
Referee Sam Barrott allowed play to continue with the Dutchman watching impotently from the sidelines while Mikkel Damsgaard’s corner was headed in unchallenged by Ethan Pinnock with the depleted United defence dithering on the stroke of half time.
But 89 seconds after the restart rather than Brentford doubling their lead from a kick off it was United drawing level with their first league goal in over a month – another cross field ball from Rashford on the right volleyed home with aplomb by the Argentine winger who scored his fourth goal of the season.
And the Reds took the lead after a sustained period of pressure when the Bees tried to build up out of their own defence but lost the ball and Unite punished them with a quickly taken pass from Christian Eriksen which was flicked up into the path of Rasmus Hojlund – the Danish striker dinked the ball over Mark Flekken to put the Reds into the lead – only his second goal of the season.
The Reds kept the pressure up in the second half and Diogo Dalot had his shot blocked by Mark Flekken as they passed up the chance to extend their lead but rose to 10th place at the end of a more fluent second half performance.
PLAYER RATINGS – Manchester United 2, Brentford 1
Andre Onana: 6. Flying save to deny Christian Norgaard.
Diogo Dalot: 6. Restored to his preferred right back role. Free shot blocked by Mark Flekken.
Mathijs De Ligt: 7. Battled with Kevin Schade but had to go off several times for running repairs on a cut to his head and was off the pitch when Brentford scored from a corner.
Jonny Evans: 6. Put under early pressure by Brentford.
Lisandro Martinez: 6. Unfamiliar left back role, but great chance to score denied by Mark Flekken from his flicked header.
Casemiro: 7. Passing wayward and shooting from long range wasn’t much better although he had a chance saved by Mark Flekken.
Christian Eriksen: 7. Good set pieces but contrived to blaze over the ball when a backheel from Rasmus Hojlund ran into his path. Settled for starting the move which put United into the lead.
Alejandro Garnacho: 8. Still getting fans on their feet. Worked hard down his left flank, some defensive positives too and drew two fine saves out of Mark Flekken before scoring the equaliser and testing Flekken again with a low shot.
Bruno Fernandes: 7. Early chance to impress collected by Mark Flekken, quiet afternoon until his clever flick released Rasmus Hojlund to put United into the lead.
Marcus Rashford: 7. Couldn’t capitalise on loose ball following a save from Mark Flekken, two great crosses from the right – one of which was converted by Alejandro Garnacho. Signs of returning to confidence with tricks re-emerging.
Rasmus Hojlund: 7. Deserved assist when his backheel found Christian Eriksen in space. Spent an hour getting slowly into the game before he got his goal after Brentford lost the ball under pressure in the second half.
Joshua Zirkzee (on for Rasmus Hojlund, 74): 6. Wasn’t up to speed with the game after coming on.
Victor Lindelof (on for Jonny Evans, 88): No time to mark
Manuel Ugarte (on for Casemiro, 88): No time to mark
Noussair Mazraoui (on for Alejandro Garnacho, 90+1): No time to mark
TEAM NEWS – Manchester United 2, Brentford 1
Injuries to Kobbie Mainoo (ruled out for several weeks), Noussair Mazraoui (with a heart issue), and Harry Maguire paved the way for recalls for Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, and Mathijs De Ligt.
GOALS – Manchester United 2, Brentford 1
Man Utd 0, Brentford 1: 45+5. Ethan Pinnock stole in for a set piece header with Mathijs De Ligt on the sidelines. He was in free space behind Casemiro when he headed in Mikkel Damsgaard’s corner after United lost their bearings.
Man Utd 1, Brentford 1: 47. Marcus Rashford’s ball from the right was volleyed home by Alejandro Garnacho on the left.
Man Utd 2, Brentford 1: 62. Rasmus Hojlund dinked the ball over Mark Flekken after Brentford were caught trying to pass the ball out of defence, Christian Eriksen picked out Bruno Fernandes who found the Danish striker in space.
MATCH STATS – Manchester United 2, Brentford 1
Man Utd: Onana, Dalot, De Ligt, Evans (Lindelof 88), Martinez, Casemiro (Ugarte 88), Eriksen, Garnacho (Mazraoui 90+1), Fernandes (C), Rashford, Hojlund (Zirkzee 74)
Man Utd Subs not used: Bayindir, Amad, Antony, Wheatley, Fletcher
Bookings: Evans 45+6; Dalot 54 (foul on Keane Lewis-Potter)
Goals: Garnacho 47; Hojlund 62
Brentford: Flekken, van den Berg (Roerslev 87), Collins, Pinnock, Ajer, Janelt (Yarmoliuk 75), Norgaard (C), Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter (Wissa 66), Schade (Carvalho 75)
Brentford Subs not used: Valdimarsson, Mee, Meghoma, Konak, Trevitt
Bookings: Norgaard 55 (foul on Alejandro Garnacho); Ajer 74 (foul on Alejandro Garnacho)
Goal: Pinnock 45+5
Referee: Sam Barrott
Attendance: 73,738