Man United resume their Premier League season against Brentford at Old Trafford today and here are five things to look out for.
A 2-1 October home win against Brentford would be just the ticket for Manchester United. Perhaps not through 93rd and 97th minute goals this time, though.
United do not have Scott McTominay to turn to this weekend but their injury list is not as long as it was during the international fortnight.
Brentford scored as many Premier League goals against Wolves two weeks ago as United have in seven games. Bryan Mbeumo alone has tallied more league goals than United, on -3 goal difference having failed to score in four of their past five league fixtures.
Here are five things to look out for against Brentford:
Casemiro curse?
The first explicit signal from United that Casemiro was in decline came against Brentford at Old Trafford in October last year when he was substituted at half-time. He started the season sluggishly and his clumsy dismissal a few days earlier made victory possible for Galatasaray.
Twelve months on, Casemiro is poised to start against Brentford out of necessity. United’s failure to prioritise the midfield in the summer has contributed to all three of their league defeats and Manuel Ugarte’s international commitments with Uruguay risk ruling him out of the next immediate fixture. That is a parallel with the laissez-faire Edinson Cavani he and United could have done without.
Who’s at left back?
Tyrell Malacia is technically behind schedule for his comeback, going off Erik ten Hag’s timeframe, though it would be senseless to rush him back when he last played for United with David de Gea, Wout Weghorst and Fred as teammates.
United’s injury bulletins can be about as reliable as Dr Nick from The Simpsons and Noussair Mazraoui’s presence in training came a week after he was ruled out for “a few weeks” by the club. He is fit to feature. Harry Amass, United’s breakthrough performer during the pre-season tour, is a left back yet he has had limited training sessions with the first team this season.
Hojlund or Zirkzee?
Rasmus Hojlund’s fitness remains an issue and he started the first but not the second of Denmark’s Nations League matches. In between, he sat out a training session.
Joshua Zirkzee was also in and then out of the Dutch starting XI. Neither he nor Hojlund scored for their nations. Zirkzee has not scored since his United debut while Hojlund has been a better substitute striker than starting striker since March. It is not the striker dilemma Ten Hag would want.
Will United face their destroyers?
After Brentford lost to Ralf Rangnick’s United at the Community Stadium in January 2022, Thomas Frank suggested they “destroyed” United in the first half. After Brentford almost lost to Ten Hag’s United at the Community Stadium in March 2024, Frank suggested they had “destroyed” United.
Frank’s language was extreme but he had a point. United at least recovered under Rangnick in a clinical second half. They got worse after the interval on Easter Saturday. It is just as well for Ten Hag today’s game is at Old Trafford, where Brentford have lost on all three Premier League visits.
Mebeumo magic?
While clubs were weighing up a move for Ivan Toney, the smart move would have been to go for Bryan Mbeumo. Brentford’s versatile and invaluable winger would have been a sound signing by United in the summer and he has plundered six goals in seven league games this term.
The Cameroon international is only 25 and has entered the final two years of his contract. He would be a sound signing next summer.
Leave a Reply