Man Utd - Brentford: Avoid sad record
Since the 0-7 loss to Liverpool in early March, Man Utd has not yet scored in the Premier League. They drew Southampton 0-0 and lost to Newcastle 0-2 in the last two rounds. If they continue to fail before Brentford, the "Red Devils" will hit a sad record: for the first time not scoring in four consecutive Premier League matches.
Like Liverpool, Brentford once made Man Utd defeat this season. After winning 4-0 in the first leg, the West London team aims to defeat Man Utd in both legs in the domestic league for the first time in 86 years. It is not easy for Brentford, when they have all lost in the last three times to Old Trafford, with a total score of 1-10.
The 0-4 loss in the first leg was the first away match for coach Erik ten Hag and midfielder Lisandro Martinez. That day, Martinez was even substituted right after the first half. The reputation of the two teachers and students has increased since then, but the performance of the whole team is low after losing Casemiro to suspension. The Brazilian defensive midfielder will continue to be absent from the meeting with Brentford tonight.
However, Man Utd has achieved very impressive form at home in the Premier League this season. Ten Hag's teachers and students are unbeaten since losing to Brighton 1-2 in the opening round. That is also Man Utd's only defeat in the last 22 home matches. Brentford is also playing well when losing only one of the last 16 matches in the Premier League. Over the course of the season, they have only lost five matches, only more than Arsenal, Man City and Newcastle. Thomas Frank's teachers and students were named the "holy draw" in the Premier League this season, with 13 points sharing with opponents.
Marcus Rashford will still be Man Utd's biggest hope with 27 goals in all competitions this season, averaging 0.72 goals per game. 18 of them came at Old Trafford. But the England player was dead in the last two matches against Fulham and Newcastle. With Casemiro and Christian Eriksen absent through injury, Rashford may need the brilliance of Bruno Fernandes or Scott McTominay in midfield to avoid not scoring for the first time in half a year.
On the Brentford side, the goal of scoring is still on Ivan Toney. From the beginning of the 2021-2022 season until now, Toney has scored 29 goals in the Premier League, just behind Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah. Man Utd need to avoid being penalized in this match. Toney, with his tight footwork when taking a penalty, always tricked the opponent's keeper from a distance of 11m. If you count players who have taken 10 or more penalties, he is one of only two people to reach 100% in the history of the tournament, next to Yaya Toure.
Opta only assessed Man Utd's win rate in this match as 45.8%, even though Ten Hag's students played at Old Trafford. A draw is enough to help "Red Devils" enter the top 4 with one point more than Tottenham, but Man Utd definitely wants more. Brentford, with the ability to close quickly and compete fiercely, will be a challenge for central midfielders who are not appreciated in Man Utd's ability to control the ball.
