Rasmus Højlund's winning goal was a certifiable stroke of skill and brings a calmer atmosphere to Erik ten Hag and his troubled manchester united after picking up three points for the first time since a 3-0 defeat to Southampton in mid-September.
In 62 minutes Brentford They were pinned down by the flag in the right corner. The ball was won, Christian Eriksen slipped a pass to Bruno Fernandes, and his no-look pass to Højlund was as sweet as the number 9's deft strike on Mark Flekken as the Brentford goalkeeper went to ground.
Alejandro Garnacho's equalizing volley followed inside two minutes of the second half, which was an apt response to, what seemed, a debacle overseen by Ten Hag and his medical staff just before the interval that heralded Brentford's first goal . When the goal went in, it seemed emblematic of United's woes. As the visitors prepared to take a corner from the left, referee Sam Barrott ordered Matthijs de Ligt to the touchline for a head injury he suffered at the start of the half and which needed to be treated by third time.
At the same time a dead ball from Mikkel Damsgaard arrived and… what a surprise – Ethan Pinnock stood up where the Dutchman should have been – in the middle of André Onana's goal – to head in, unmarked.
Cue De Ligt goes berserk on fourth official Gavin Ward, a furious Ruud van Nistelrooy does the same, and the latter and Ten Hag are booked for their angry reactions. Two previous attempts had been made to stop De Ligt's bleeding, so United's doctors bore some blame, while Ten Hag was ultimately responsible for not replacing the defender beforehand.
The manager's explanation was that the fury was caused by De Ligt's claim that the blood was “dried” so did not need treatment, but even if this were the case, for hygiene reasons it would still seem necessary to address it.
The final result: De Ligt, without bandage, emerged for the second half, United harnessed feelings of injustice as fuel, Ten Hag declared, and, within two minutes, the perfect response was created: Marcus Rashford's curling cross to the far post was tapped in by Garnacho to level the score . first league goal since Saints' victory, and increase United's lead first division score count by 20% – to six.
About Garnacho, Ten Hag said: “I know what he is capable of: he is a threat and has the ability to score, but also a threat one on one. The final product is definitely what we needed and what we lost in the first few games of the season.”
Its ending saw Ten Hag and Van Nistelrooy embrace and United's spirits soar, something that certainly didn't happen before this contest. “Fairy tales and lies” was the coach's pre-match claim regarding some reports that his job was at stake ahead of the international break. Ten Hag mysteriously did not mention how United, who sit in 14th place with eight points from seven games and a goal difference of -3, could have increased the pressure. Considering, too, Sir Alex Ferguson's £2.6m salary as United's “global ambassador” is being scrapped (the former manager preferred to watch Celtic v Aberdeen on Saturday) and these were the threads of the latest intrigue that revolved around United.
after newsletter promotion
Quick guideHow do I sign up to receive breaking sports news alerts?
Show
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or Google Play Store on Android by searching for “The Guardian.”
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you have the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Activate sports notifications.
However, here they finished on top and deserved the victory. De Ligt's cut occurred when, instead of hitting the ball, he hit Kevin Schade's knee: the centre-back was lucky to continue, as United were determined not to be defeated by the farrago in which he was the player major. United next face Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday and then travel to West Ham three days later.
Rashford was United's standout player, a compendium of bursts, zigzag passes and threats. “I really enjoyed how he played today,” his manager said. “You see what he is capable of. We want to see this in every game, what he can contribute to the team, very intense and then a brilliant cross (for Garnacho's goal).
“When he has this attitude, he will (also) score, but he also starts with fighting spirit and when we all put all this on the field, we have a team that can play for trophies this season.”
The problem remains: can United finally find the consistency to do so?
