Manchester United’s “revival” proved to be short-lived as they were beaten 3-1 by Brentford on Saturday.
The Red Devils earned their second win of the season last weekend, beating Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford. Some were looking at the result as a turning point for Man Utd, finally setting up them to go on a run.
Ruben Amorim’s side went into their game against Brentford seeking back-to-back league wins for the first time under the Portuguese boss. But they gave themselves an uphill battle early on, trailing 2-0 inside 20 minutes.
And it was a deficit they just couldn’t overturn, suffering a third league defeat of the season.
How did Brentford beat Man Utd?
Man Utd’s defensive woes cause downfall
Man Utd were the architects of their own downfall. And it came from the system Amorim had set up. Keeping with the back three, Amorim had Harry Maguire in the central spot which was also the deepest when Man Utd were in possession.
The defence were holding a fairly high line, hoping to keep passing options open to recycle moves, while also providing an almost-immediate shield to attacks. But the problem with high lines is that they’re so easily beaten by long balls over the top. So you need someone fast in the deepest role. Maguire is not that.
And that caused Brentford’s first goal. A Man Utd attack came to an end thanks to Diogo Dalot’s poor pass, which allowed Brentford to regain possession. The ball fell to Jordan Henderson, who looked up and sent a ball over the top of Igor Thiago. Maguire, standing in the centre circle, had stepped up to play an offside trap but he was too slow. Thiago judged the bounce of the long ball well and found himself in a lot of space. He made his way into the box before sending a thunderous effort past Altay Bayindir.
There was also a defensive lapse for Brentford’s second. Matthijs de Ligt was the one caught out this time by a ball over the top. The ball fell to Kevin Schade, whose first touch gave him space to run into. But it also might have enticed a more confident goalkeeper to close the angle down and put pressure on.
Schade reached the byline and was joined in the box by Thiago — as well as four Man Utd defenders. After Schade’s cross was pushed out by Bayindir, Thiago reacted quickest to tap in the rebound. The four Man Utd defenders were all caught flat-footed, just watching as it all happened.
Overall, Man Utd conceded 1.99 Expected Goals from the 10 shots they faced, with eight hitting the target. They allowed 23 touches in the opposition box and 60 final third entries, proving far too open.
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Igor Thiago proves that grass is greener
Some of the focus in the build up to this game was on Bryan Mbeumo making his return to the Gtech Community Stadium. The Cameroonian forward made 242 appearances for Brentford across all competitions, scoring 70 goals. He is also Brentford’s second-highest goalscorer in the Premier League, netting 42 times.
Mbeumo’s departure came at the same time as Yoane Wissa’s, leaving Brentford needing to find an all-new attack. In Igor Thiago they have someone exciting to lead the line. And not just because he got the goals.
Of course, the goals help. Thiago has scored four goals in the Premier League this season, with only Erling Haaland (six) managing more in the division. His two goals against Man Utd came from three shots, with 0.64 xG.
The first was an excellent finish after timing his run perfectly high up the pitch. The second was a bit more fortunate, but he did well to readjust his body for the rebound — reacting quickest in the box.
Thiago had five touches in the opposition box in total, proving a menace. He also won three aerial duels and completed three lay-off passes, proving a good focal point of the attack.
| Stat | Igor Thiago | Brentford rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 1st |
| Shots | 3 | 1st |
| Shots on target | 2 | =1st |
| Expected Goals | 0.64 | 2nd |
| Touches in the opposition box | 5 | =2nd |
A glimmer of hope from Benjamin Sesko
Man Utd had chances to take a point in the second half. And they were in that position thanks to Benjamin Sesko’s first Man Utd goal. It was a scrappy one, but Sesko showed good perseverance after a scramble in the box.
Sesko saw his first two efforts well saved by Caoimhin Kelleher, but he sent his third into the roof of the net with power. Other strikers might have let their head drop after the first two failures.
With four shots on target in the first half, Sesko became the first player to hit that number in the first half of a Premier League match since Cristiano Ronaldo in September 2021. He ended the game with six shots in target, with four hitting the target. Sesko also won three of his six aerial duels, proving strong in both boxes there.
| Stat | Benjamin Sesko | Man Utd rank |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 | 1st |
| Shots | 6 | 1st |
| Shots on target | 4 | 1st |
| Expected Goals | 0.84 | 1st |
| Touches in the opposition box | 6 | 1st |