Manchester United
Brentford
United generally have a good record against Brentford at Old Trafford, winning all of the last three head-to-head games at Old Trafford.
Brentford's away form in the league has also been poor, with the Bees losing four of their last five league games on the road.
This will likely be a very close and competitive affair, but we're backing Ten Hag's side to edge it. Man Utd 2-1 Brentford.
Manchester United are looking to ease the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag as they look horns with Brentford in the Premier League this weekend.
Manchester United’s start to the 2023-24 Premier League campaign has been underwhelming, to say the least. With just eight points from their opening seven matches, the club currently sit 14th in the table—a position far below the expectations of the club's supporters. The struggles United have faced this season are all too familiar for fans who watched the team stumble through similar issues last year, and many of the years since Alex Ferguson's departure, and despite finishing the previous season on a high by winning the FA Cup against cross-city rivals Manchester City, the optimism surrounding manager Erik ten Hag’s project has quickly dissipated.
A primary concern is that Manchester United seem to lack a coherent tactical identity, as despite having a squad filled with talented individuals, Ten Hag has not yet managed to establish a consistent or effective game model. The team’s performances have been disjointed, with no clear structure that maximises the abilities of the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford, and while there have been moments of quality, they have been few and far between, leading to growing frustration within the fanbase.
It is no secret that Ten Hag is under mounting pressure, with fans expecting the team to push on and challenge for a Champions League spot at the very least. However, the poor start to the season has led to increasing disillusionment, and reports have surfaced suggesting that Manchester United’s co-owners INEOS are starting to sound out potential replacements. Thomas Tuchel, currently unemployed, is one of the names linked with the job and it's hard not to imagine that his name will be very tempting.
Given the current state of affairs, this weekend’s match against Brentford has become a must-win fixture for United. Anything less than three points could push Ten Hag closer to the exit door, and a convincing performance is equally important in order to restore some semblance of confidence in his project.
In contrast to Manchester United’s turbulent start, Brentford have enjoyed a relatively solid beginning to their campaign. The Bees sit 11th in the table with ten points from seven games and will feel satisfied with how their season has unfolded so far. Under the management of Thomas Frank, Brentford have consistently proven themselves to be a difficult opponent for most teams in the league, and this season appears to be no exception.
While Brentford have lost a number of of key players to injury, they've still maintained a high level of performance. The only defeats they have suffered this season have come against "Big Six" sides, showing how strong their standing is within the rest of the league. As their fixture list begins to ease slightly, Frank’s side will be optimistic about stringing together a good run of form and pushing for a top-half finish, or perhaps even challenging for a place in European competitions.
Bryan Mbeumo has been one of the driving force behind Brentford’s attacking threat this season, with the Cameroon international filling the void left by Ivan Toney's departure in the summer. The forward has been in outstanding form, scoring six goals in seven matches, making him one of the league’s most in-form players, and with Brentford likely to play heavily on the counter at Old Trafford, his pace as an outlet will be key to any potential result.
This game will not be televised live in the UK, but full radio coverage will be provided by BBC London 94.9.
Manchester United Team News:
The Red Devils will hope that Kobbie Mainoo is fit enough to start, after the teenage midfielder missed international duty with a tight hamstring.
Bruno Fernandes remains out through suspension after his red card against Tottenham Hotspur, while Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Harry Maguire, Noussair Mazraoui and Alejandro Garnacho all seem likely to miss out.
Predicted lineup: Onana; Lindelöf, De Ligt, Evans, Dalot; Casemiro, Mainoo; Antony, Eriksen, Rashford; Højlund.
Brentford Team News:
Like the home side, Brentford are suffering from a lengthy injury list, with Rico Henry, Igor Thiago, Yoane Wissa, Aaron Hickey, Mathias Jensen, Josh Dasilva and Gustavo Nunes all on the treatment table.
The Bees are likely to stick with the same side that started the win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.
Predicted lineup: Flekken; Van den Berg, Pinnock, Collins, Ajer; Janelt, Nørgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter; Schade.
United enter this game amidst a poor run of form having failed to win any of their last five games in all competitions. United's most recent game was a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, where Erik ten Hag's side failed to produce any moments of real quality, a result that followed a 3-3 draw in Porto, where a last-gasp Harry Maguire equaliser from a set-piece prevented a defeat.
Those results followed a convincing 0-3 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, which was preceded by a 1-1 draw with FC Twente and a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace.
Brentford's latest game was a goal-filled encounter that saw them beat Wolves 5-3. Goals from Nathan Collins, Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Nørgaard, Ethan Pinnock and Fábio Carvalho sealed what was a deserved win for the Bees.
Prior results in the league include a 1-1 draw against West Ham United, a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham, a 2-1 loss against Manchester City and a 3-1 win over Southampton.
Premier League | Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 |  Bournemouth | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 15 | |
| 13 |  Man Utd | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 15 | |
| 14 |  West Ham | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | -6 | 12 | |
| Last updated 21/11/2024 | ||||||||
Premier League | Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 |  Tottenham | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | +10 | 16 | |
| 11 |  Brentford | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 16 | |
| 12 | Bournemouth | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 15 | |
| Last updated 21/11/2024 | ||||||||
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