Manchester lost 3-1 to Brentford on Saturday afternoon in what was another disappointing display in the Premier League this season.
Man United’s 2-1 triumph over Chelsea last weekend was all but a blur as their defence committed some grave errors that pretty much handed the hosts the win.
First half
The home side almost caught United off guard three minutes in, with Michael Kayode taking a massive throw-in that found its way into the six-yard box. Fortunately, Altay Bayindir showed the awareness necessary to catch the ball before it bounced into the net.
In a sporadic counter, Harry Maguire found Cunha on the run, who passed the ball forward to Benjamin Sesko. The striker took a shot that Nathan Collins got in the way of to break down the attack. Still, it was a positive display from United.
In the eighth minute, against the run of play, Brentford scored as Igor Thiago somehow beat the offside trap to go one-on-one with the keeper. Bayindir stood no chance as the Brentford forward thumped the ball into the top corner. It was a poor lapse of concentration from Harry Maguire, who should have been marking Thiago more closely.
15 minutes in, Kayode stepped up to take another long throw reminiscent of a corner. Bayindir did well to stretch out and punch the ball out of play.
Brentford almost scored from a corner when Nathan Collins took a header from barely metres away from the goal line. Bayindir performed an excellent parry to deny him.
Yet another Brentford cross found the head of Collins, with Bayindir doing well to tip the ball over the crossbar. Those were two excellent saves from Bayindir in quick succession.
In the 20th minute, the hosts doubled their lead. Thiago got on the end of a long ball, laying the ball off to Kevin Schade on the left flank while sprinting into the box. Schade took a box from a tight angle, which Bayidir saved. Unfortunately for United, the rebound found Thiago, whose shot Bayindir got a glove on but not enough to stop the ball from rolling in.
Yet again, the back three were at fault, with Matthijs de Ligt hesitating rather than marking Thiago as the long ball came down as was necessary.
In the 22nd minute, Sesko took a shot from distance that was saved by the goalkeeper.
Then, 25 minutes in, the United striker’s hard work paid off. Patric Dorgu crossed the ball to Bryan Mbeumo, only for the keeper to punch the ball toward Sesko, who blasted the ball into the net with a powerful header. Suddenly, it was 2-1, thanks to Sesko’s debut goal for United.
With eight minutes until half-time, United earned a corner. Maguire headed the cross goalward, only for his effort to be blocked.
Four minutes of added time were announced, yet United’s performance remained muted in the final minutes of the first half. Neither team looked likely to find another goal as the break approached.
While United’s game picked up, the team still lacked the bite it needed to claw its way back into the contest. Hopefully, Ruben Amorim gave the team an effective team talk head of the second half.
Second half
Two minutes into the second half, another long throw from Kayode threatened United’s goalmouth, with Bayindir doing well to claim it.
De Ligt was shown a yellow card after the referee determined that he shoved Collins. He needed to show more restraint for the remainder of the game to avoid further punishment.
Bruno Fernandes was booked a moment later, with his boot raised during a challenge on Dango Outtara.
On the hour mark, Collins popped a header into the box, although Luke Shaw did well to block Sepp van den Berg.
In the 63rd minute, Schade found Outtara in the centre of the box with a slick pass. Bayindir did well to deny Outtara’s lethal shot, keeping United in the game.
While United dominated the ball in the minutes that followed, they showed no creativity up front, struggling to break through the stubborn Brentford defence. More innovation would be needed for United to find the goal they desperately needed.
Leny Yoro and Kobbie Mainoo were United’s first substitutes of the match, coming on for Maguire and Manuel Ugarte.
With 20 minutes to go, United were off on a lethal counter-attack. Cunha threaded a slick through ball to Mbeumo, who was held back by Collins. Had Collins not fouled him, Mbeumo could very well have scored.
Still, the referee would not allow the Brentford defender to get away with it, immediately pointing to the penalty spot. VAR reviewed the infringement, and after a quick assessment, supported the referee’s decision.
Fernandes stepped up to the spot, hammering the ball to the bottom right corner. Unfortunately, the goalkeeper read him perfectly, saving the United skipper’s shot.
With the score still 2-1, United would need to find a breakthrough from elsewhere.
Mason Mount came on for Shaw with just nine minutes to play. Clearly, Amorim was looking to bolster his team’s attacking potential.
De Ligt came close to scoring when he got on the end of a long throw-in by Diogo Dalot, only for his shot to veer wide.
In the 84th minute, Dorgu was booked for a foul on Keane Lewis-Potter. Joshua Zirkzee replaced him moments later, adding to United’s attacking depth.
With eight minutes of stoppage time awarded, it was Brentford who seemed the more likely to score. United seemed to show no appetite for more goals, pretty much resigning themselves to their unfortunate fate.
Then, in the 95th minute, Matthis Jensen took a shot from outside the box that belted past Bayindir and into the net. It was another sobering moment for United, which certainly rubbed salt in their wounds.
The full-time whistle blew on another disappointing fixture for United. One wonders how much time Amorim has left at the helm if he doesn’t change the team’s fortunes soon.
Starting XI: Bayindir, Dalot, De Ligt, Maguire, Fernandes, Cunha, Dorgu, Mbeumo, Shaw, Ugarte, Sesko
Subs: Yoro, Mainoo, Mount, Zirkzee
Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
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