Manchester United battles to hard-fought win over Brentford

Manchester United secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Brentford on Saturday, bringing some much-needed relief at Old Trafford. The win ended a difficult stretch of results and saw the Red Devils show resilience, especially after a challenging first half and a scare involving Matthijs de Ligt.

High stakes for United and Ten Hag

With only one win in their previous five matches (four draws and one loss), pressure was mounting on Manchester United and manager Erik ten Hag. Speculation about Ten Hag’s future intensified, but the Dutchman dismissed the rumors, saying, "You create fairy tales and spread lies," in his pre-match remarks to the media. Brentford started the match brightly. The visitors created the first serious chance through Bryan Mbuemo, who tested United’s defense. The Brentford forward, who has outscored Manchester United in the Premier League this season (6 goals to United's 5), missed a golden opportunity, blasting the ball over the crossbar.

A bloodied De Ligt shows courage

Matthijs de Ligt’s bravery was put to the test early on after a clash with Brentford’s Kevin Schade. The United defender sustained a bleeding head wound after colliding with Schade's knee during a contested ball. Despite the injury, De Ligt quickly returned to the field after receiving medical attention, signaling his readiness to continue. The brief stoppage allowed United to regain their composure. Around the 20-minute mark, they began to establish control, creating a series of chances. Rasmus Højlund, Christian Eriksen, and Alejandro Garnacho all threatened the Brentford goal but were repeatedly denied by goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

Controversy before half-time

Just before the break, United suffered a setback. De Ligt was sent to the sidelines for a third time by the officials to clean up the blood from his face. In his absence, Brentford capitalized on a corner kick, with Ethan Pinnock heading the ball into the net. The timing of the goal infuriated Ten Hag and De Ligt, who believed the defender’s removal was unnecessary. "It's just dry blood. Why should he leave the field?" Ten Hag questioned after the match. "Everyone knows Brentford is strong on corners, and we were missing one of our best aerial defenders. They took advantage of that." Ten Hag's protests earned him a yellow card.

United's comeback seals the win

The frustration of the first half was quickly replaced by determination as United came out strong after the break. Alejandro Garnacho equalized shortly after the restart, finishing a beautiful cross-field pass from Marcus Rashford with a precise strike. Fifteen minutes later, Rasmus Højlund put United in front with a clever chip over Flekken, sealing the 2-1 victory for the home side. The result brought relief to the team and the fans, as Ten Hag’s side finally found a way to turn their performance around. United’s win brings some stability after a turbulent period, but the team knows that consistency will be crucial as they aim to climb back into contention in the Premier League.