Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Højlund were on target as Manchester United overcame a controversial opening goal to defeat Brentford 2-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday, achieving their first victory in over a month.
This win propelled United to 10th place in the league standings with 11 points from eight matches, lightening the burden on manager Erik ten Hag, whose position has been questioned in recent media reports. Brentford sits just below in 12th place with 10 points.
“Every game we win is important,” Ten Hag stated when asked about the significance of the victory. “This team shows togetherness and fighting spirit. Today, we had the determination to score goals, which is crucial.”
United had only 10 men on the pitch when Ethan Pinnock scored Brentford’s goal with a header from a corner deep into first-half stoppage time. The referee, Sam Barrott, had sent Matthijs de Ligt to the sidelines for treatment on a head injury, a decision that Ten Hag and assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy deemed “an injustice.”
“It was dried blood; he had already been treated,” Ten Hag explained. “It was a huge moment since Brentford is very good with corners, and losing one of your best headers resulted in disappointment.”
The decision seemed to invigorate the home team, who dominated the second half. Garnacho found the net shortly after the break in the 47th minute, connecting with a cross from Marcus Rashford to slot it into the far corner from inside the six-yard box.
Højlund scored the decisive goal in spectacular fashion in the 62nd minute, receiving a back-heel pass from Bruno Fernandes and deftly chipping the ball over Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken, marking his first league goal of the season.
The victory was significant for United, who had not won since a League Cup match against Barnsley on September 17 and had not secured a league win since defeating Southampton 3-0 on September 14.
Brentford came close to scoring early, as Kevin Schade nearly converted a chance in the third minute, but he could not connect with Vitaly Janelt’s cross. Christian Nørgaard also tested United’s goalkeeper André Onana with a remarkable save during the first half.
Brentford coach Thomas Frank acknowledged the disparity between the halves: “We were the best team in the first half. The second half was disappointing; we should have performed better. We knew they would come out strong, but we were too passive.”
Overall, United created more opportunities, registering 11 shots on target compared to Brentford’s two.