Brentford compounded Manchester United’s struggles with a convincing 3–1 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium, leaving manager Ruben Amorim under renewed pressure as his side’s inconsistent form continues in the Premier League.
Igor Thiago opened scoring for the hosts in the eighth minute, beating the offside trap before rifling a half-volley off the post. The Brazilian doubled Brentford’s lead just eleven minutes later, tapping home after goalkeeper Altay Bayindir failed to deal with a low cross.
Manchester United briefly revived hope when Benjamin Sesko scored his first goal for the club, converting a rebound to make it 2–1 before halftime. But the visitors squandered a golden opportunity to equalise in the second half after captain Bruno Fernandes saw his penalty saved by Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Brentford sealed the result in stoppage time when Mathias Jensen fired a stunning long-range effort past Bayindir to make it 3–1, sparking wild celebrations among the home supporters.
Speaking after the game, Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim admitted his team failed to impose their style of play.
“We didn’t control the game. We played Brentford’s game — long balls, second balls, set pieces. We worked on it all week, but we didn’t execute,” he said. “We need to do better. It’s always painful to lose here, but we must focus on the next one.”
Brentford boss Keith Andrews praised his side’s discipline and team spirit.
“It was a special afternoon and a result we deserved. I’m proud of the performance,” Andrews said. “We had to react in different phases of the game, but you could see the team effort. Caoimhin’s save was huge and gave us confidence.”
Former England winger Joe Cole urged the Manchester United hierarchy to reconsider their direction after yet another setback.
“They need a different direction,” Cole said. “There’s no control, no consistency. It’s not working.”
Saturday’s defeat means United have collected just 34 points from 33 league matches under Amorim, averaging one point per game. The Red Devils now risk slipping further down the table as pressure intensifies ahead of their next fixture against Sunderland.
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