Man Utd hit back against Brentford to ease pressure on Ten Hag
Manchester United snapped a five-game winless run to ease the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag after coming from behind to beat Brentford 2-1 on Saturday at Old Trafford.
The match began ominously for United as Brentford’s Ethan Pinnock headed the Bees in front during first-half stoppage time. However, United responded swiftly in the second half, with Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund scoring within the first 17 minutes to turn the game around.
This crucial victory lifted United above Brentford into 10th place in the Premier League table, providing much-needed relief for Ten Hag, who had faced mounting criticism following a dismal start to the season, winning only three of their first ten games across all competitions.
The Dutch manager had earlier dismissed speculation about his job security as “fairy tales and lies.” However, the tension was palpable as United struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, which only came to life in added time when Brentford’s goalkeeper, Mark Flekken, nearly gifted United a goal. He spilled a header from Lisandro Martinez and had to recover quickly to save Hojlund’s follow-up.
Garnacho proved to be a bright spot in United’s attack, which had gone over 300 minutes without scoring in the Premier League prior to his equalizer. He forced Flekken into multiple saves and missed a chance by blasting the ball into the side-netting. The biggest miss of the half fell to Christian Eriksen, who shot over the bar with only Flekken to beat against his former club.
Brentford had been known for their fast starts, scoring within the first two minutes in their last four Premier League games. This time, they gradually worked their way into the match, with Christian Norgaard’s dipping effort drawing a fine save from United’s Andre Onana.
The circumstances surrounding Brentford’s opener infuriated United, as Matthijs de Ligt suffered a head injury early on and had to leave the pitch twice to stem the bleeding. Taking advantage of United being a man down, Pinnock powered in a header from Mikkel Damsgaard’s corner, giving Brentford the lead.
Ten Hag’s protests regarding the situation resulted in a booking, but his side channeled that perceived injustice into a fiery start to the second half. Just 90 seconds in, Garnacho volleyed in a beautiful goal from Marcus Rashford’s cross to level the score.
United’s struggles this season have been largely attributed to their lack of a clinical striker, but Hojlund’s composed finish for the winner, assisted by Bruno Fernandes’ deft touch, was a welcome sign. The Danish forward lofted the ball over the advancing Flekken for his first Premier League goal of the season.
Although United could have extended their lead, with Diogo Dalot failing to convert a one-on-one with Flekken and Garnacho again testing the goalkeeper, the damage was done. This win marked United’s first home victory in the Premier League since the opening night of the season, providing a much-needed boost for the team and their manager.
