Manchester United suffered a third Premier League away defeat in four matches on Sunday as they lost 4-3 to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
It was almost a nightmare start for the Red Devils when Luke Shaw headed a ball narrowly past his own goal following a lack of communication with goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, who endured a shaky start before settling into the match.
The visitors took the lead in the 14th minute when Mason Mount scored from Alejandro Garnacho’s cross, but they didn’t hold it for long after the Bees equalised 13 minutes later when Mikkel Damsgaard’s effort was deflected into the goal off Shaw.
Ruben Amorim’s side struggled to deal with the opposition’s physicality on the day, and they found themselves behind when Kevin Schade rose at the backpost and headed past Bayindir. Things got worse for United in the second half when Schade struck again after finding space behind Tyler Fredricson, before Yoane Wissa extended the lead four minutes later.
Garnacho provided some hope in the 82nd minute with a spectacular effort to reduce the deficit, and Amad’s goal in injury time came too late to rescue the game.
Positives
There were positive moments of linkup play between Mount and Garnacho, who combined for three chances across the 57 minutes that the England international played. Christian Eriksen’s performance after replacing Mount was also noteworthy, with United struggling to garner any control before he was brought on.
Negatives
The Red Devils struggled against long balls, crosses, and set pieces throughout the 90 minutes, while they also could have been better when competing for second balls. An injury to Matthijs de Ligt saw a key player taken off, which leaves an anxious wait to see if the Netherlands international will miss the rest of the season.
Manager rating out of 10
Ruben Amorim, 5 –– A focus on resting multiple key players ahead of their Europa League semifinal second leg against Athletic Club on Thursday saw Amorim rotate his squad, but some young players struggled against Brentford’s aggressive pressing and physical style of football. The substitutions had a positive effect on the game, with Eriksen’s influence changing the match, particularly in enhancing his side’s attacking build-up.
Player ratings (1-10; 10: best. Players introduced after 70 minutes receive no rating)
GK Altay Bayindir 5 – Unconvincing early-on but made several important saves, including a close range header from Christian Nørgaard. Little he could do about the goals he conceded.
DF Luke Shaw 5 – Almost headed the ball past Bayindir in the opening minutes. Unfortunate with his own goal after Damsgaard’s effort was deflected off him. Replaced at half-time by Leny Yoro, though that looked to be managing minutes ahead of the Athletic Club game rather than his performance.
DF Matthijs de Ligt 5 – On the floor when United conceded their second before being forced off with an injury. Replaced by Harry Maguire.
DF Tyler Fredricson 3 – Battled well when isolated in the early exchanges but mistimed his jump for Brentford’s second goal to allow Schade to head in. Lacked awareness on Brentford’s third, allowing Schade to find space behind him. Drawn to the ball on Brentford’s fourth goal which saw Wissa make a third-man run to put the game out of reach.
MF Harry Amass 3 – Beaten in the air by Michael Kayode to allow Brentford a second phase leading to Shaw’s own goal. Didn’t do enough to stop Bryan Mbeumo’s cross for Brentford’s third and then allowed Kayode to get in behind to assist the Bees’ fourth.
MF Kobbie Mainoo 5 – Struggled to influence the game from midfield against Brentford’s aggressive press. Took up better positions to create space when moved further forward after Eriksen came on.
MF Manuel Ugarte 6 – Battled well in some moments but could have been better on the ball. Booked after giving it away before a foul to prevent a cross. Provided assistance for Amass against Mbeumo in the second half, and worked hard to relieve pressure.
MF Patrick Dorgu 4 – Almost anonymous in the first half. Offered little help against the threat of Schade, and no encouraging signs when going forward.
FW Alejandro Garnacho 7 – One of Manchester United’s brightest. Garnacho’s driven cross to assist the opener was delivered with pinpoint accuracy. Made amends for missing a chance in the first half with an excellent strike to provide a glimmer of hope late on.
FW Mason Mount 7 – Timed his run perfectly to get ahead of the Brentford defence and connect with the cross. Unlucky not to register an assist after returning the favour to Garnacho on the cusp of half-time.
FW Chido Obi 6 – At 17 years and 156 days old, he became United’s youngest-ever starter. Worked hard to chase down balls while leading the line, applying pressure to Brentford’s defenders as they tried to clear. Fared better in the second half when the Red Devils were more patient in their attacks.
Substitutes
Harry Maguire (de Ligt, 35) 5 – Worked well when dealing with Brentford’s set pieces, but often found himself outnumbered when the opposition overloaded the box. Could have been narrower on Brentford’s fourth goal to stop the pass getting to Kayode.
Leny Yoro (Shaw, 46) 6 – Introduced for Shaw at half-time. Added much-needed height after Amorm’s side struggled to deal with balls in the air. Not at fault for any of the goals.
Amad (Dorgu, 46) 7 – Drove at the defence and tried to get things moving in the right direction. Linked well with Garnacho during transitions. Scored in the 95th minute after beating his man and striking on his left foot.
Christian Eriksen (Mount 57) 7 – Involved early after coming on when combining with Garnacho. Looked to drop slightly deeper to try to help build attacks from midfield. Helped United establish a greater level of control in the game, capping a solid performance with the assist for Garnacho’s goal.
Victor Lindel̦f (Fredricson, 76) N/R РIntroduced for the final spell of the game after a difficult day for Fredricson.
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