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Manchester United came back from a goal down to grab all three points in their Premier League game against Brentford at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund in the second half proved to be the difference in the end after the Bees had grabbed the lead through Ethan Pinnock at the stroke of half-time.
The visitors were poor on the day and the 20-time English league champions climbed up to 10th in the table, six points off the top four places.
Erik ten Hag was reeling under immense pressure heading into the game with multiple reports linking Thomas Frank with the role should the Dutchman receive his marching orders.
Attack was on fire in the second half
The victory will come as a huge relief to the former Ajax coach and he will hope that the win can spark a turnaround in form and see the team go on a winning run from now.
While there were familiar concerns with the defence and midfield at times, the attack really purred in the second 45 minutes with all three forwards setting the stage alight.
The hosts could have scored a lot more goals but for profligacy from the Argentine winger who missed quite a few presentable opportunities but managed to put away the hardest chance!
The FA Youth Cup winner never lets his head drop despite missing chances and keeps going for the jugular whenever he gets the ball, a great trait to have for any attacker and something the manager will appreciate.
Rashford, who started the game on the right, was a menace on both flanks as he switched sides and his cross-field passes opened up the visitors on a number of occasions.
It was nice to see the Mancunian get on with the game instead of sulking about playing on his least preferred position and he certainly gave the manager something to think about moving forward.
EtH has found his best front three
United’s No 9 scored his first league goal of the season and his back-to-goal play on the day was really sharp and he enjoyed one of his best games in a United shirt.
While Ten Hag keeps tinkering with the front line from game to game, Saturday’s match was a clear indicator that these three are his most direct players and are most suited to his style.
Amad Diallo, who started the season, is not as direct and likes to link up play and dribble while the less said the better about Antony.
With stern tests in Europe and the league coming up, the manager needs to try and improve the finishing of his players while not changing the lineup too much, especially up front.
Feature image Gareth Copley via Getty Images
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2024-10-19 17:10:11
