Wow, just wow. What a game we have just witnessed. Manchester United have beaten Brentford by two goals to one in the most dramatic fashion.
Brentford took the lead in the 26th minute through Mathias Jensen and defended incredibly well for the rest of the game.
But then came on super Scott McTominay. The Scotsman replaced Sofyan Amrabat in the 87th minute and scored two rapid fire goals while having only five touches of the ball.
Let’s dissect the performances of the manager and each player in this incredible match.
Erik ten Hag – 8/10
It was yet another challenge for the Dutchman, as Raphael Varane was ruled out for this match. This meant that he had one fit full-back in Diogo Dalot and not a single centre-back on the bench to work with.
I thought it was a mistake to start Casemiro following his truly shocking displays of late but he corrected that mistake at half-time by substituting him for Christian Eriksen. The team immediately started to keep the ball better.
The headlines will undoubtedly be on Scott McTominay and ten Hag will be delighted with his impact from the bench.
A much needed win for the boss in a time when the pressure on him was only getting bigger and bigger.
Andre Onana – 3/10
Worryingly, Andre Onana had another howler at the back, letting Mathias Jensen’s strike slip through his hand.
Fortunately for him, United managed to win the game in the end and he simply has to improve when the team returns to action from the upcoming international break.
Diogo Dalot – 8/10
Dalot redeemed himself well for the error in the game against Galatasaray in the Champions League. He played a big part in United’s first goal by taking a solid shot on goal which Thomas Strakosha parried straight back into McTominay’s path.
Apart from that, he was constantly providing the width needed on the right and put in a fair amount of dangerous crosses.
Harry Maguire – 9/10
This was Harry Maguire’s first start in the Premier League this season and he was magnificent.
He played a huge role in the winning goal by setting up McTominay perfectly, thanks to his fantastic aerial ability.
Not only that, the Englishman was extremely solid defensively and helped the team maintain attacks when pushing for an equaliser in the second-half.
His passing was also impeccable as he boasted a completion rate of 56/62 (90%) alongside 10/12 accurate long balls.
Jonny Evans – 7/10
Whilst not quite as polished as Maguire, Jonny Evans was also good in this match.
He stepped in for the missing Raphael Varane and was overall solid defensively and on the ball.
Victor Lindelof – 3/10
Once again, Lindelof was partly at fault for a goal conceded by Manchester United. He failed to clear the ball properly, ultimately leading to Mathias Jensen’s goal.
He did play in an unfamiliar left-back role but was once again not at the level required to be starting games for this club.
We can only hope that at least one of United’s currently injured left-backs returns after the international break to replace Lindelof.
Casemiro – 1/10
What a surprise, Casemiro has cost Manchester United another goal this season. He was the one who started the chain of errors for Brentford’s only goal by passing the ball straight into an opposition player.
He has to sit on the bench for a few games after the international break if United want to have any chance of performing to the high standards that are needed to win games in this league.
Sofyan Amrabat – 7.5/10
The Moroccan finally started a game in his natural central midfield position and the contrast in his performance was immediately noticeable.
His passing was as close to perfect as it gets, registering 62/64 (97%) accurate passes, 3 key passes and 4/4 accurate long balls.
Bruno Fernandes – 5/10
Fernandes was very poor in this match. Constantly misplacing passes, taking hopeless long shots, under/overhitting corners and overall not having any real impact on the game.
This has been the case for quite a lot of games recently and he needs to up his game after the international break.
Mason Mount – 5/10
It was not a great showing for Mason Mount either, with his shortcomings largely being the same as Fernandes’.
He wasn’t as good as we’ve become used to out of possession either, only winnng 1 of his 6 ground duels and making 0 tackles or interceptions.
Marcus Rashford – 4/10
Just another frustrating outing for Marcus Rashford in this challenging start of the season for him.
He had next to zero goalscoring or creative impact in this match, registering a measly 0.07 expected goals (xG) and 0.03 expected assists (xA).
Like with the substititution of Casemiro, Erik ten Hag was right to take him off for Alejandro Garnacho, who had a noticable impact from the bench.
Rasmus Hojlund – 6/10
Hojlund was very combative in this match, working extremely hard to put himself about, hold-up the play with his back to goal and press Brentford’s defenders but apart from that his opportunities were limited.
Brentford were very well organised defensively and so he failed to register any real big chances.
Christian Eriksen – 6.5/10
Eriksen replaced the struggling Casemiro at half-time and did well to help United control the game better.
He completed 27/30 (90%) of his passes and 4/5 long balls. A good 45 minute cameo from him.
Alejandro Garnacho – 7.5/10
The young left-winger added some much needed energy and threat when he came on in the 63rd minute, playing a huge part in Scott McTominay’s opening goal.
It can’t be underestimated how well he did to get to the byline and cut the ball back to Diogo Dalot, who was in the perfect position to take a shot at goal.
This cameo was yet another example of how effective Garnacho is when he comes off the bench but with the combination of Marcus Rashford’s underwhelming displays and his own impressive showings, I would not mind seeing Garnacho start against Sheffield United in two weeks time.
Antony – 4/10
In contrast to Garnacho, Antony had very little impact in his 27-minute cameo. The most memorable moment from him was the shot he scuffed on the left-wing in a promising position.
Scott McTominay – 10/10
Saving the best for last, Manchester United’s saviour gets a perfect score. There isn’t a lot to say apart from the fact that McTominay’s instincts in the box are truly special and we can be thankful to him for salvaging an otherwise underwhelming game. Crucially, it means United go into the international break on a high and can hopefully regroup for the upcoming games of the season.
