Manchester United's early defensive collapse saw them stumble to yet another Premier League defeat on Saturday lunchtime, with Bruno Fernandes missing a penalty in their 3–1 defeat to Brentford.
The Red Devils found themselves trailing at the break in the capital, with Igor Thiago’s early double plunging Ruben Amorim and his players back into crisis. Benjamin Šeško scored his first goal for the club to halve Brentford’s lead, but catastrophic defending proved United’s undoing come the end of a breathless first half.
Fernandes was given a glorious opportunity to earn United a hard-fought point at the Gtech Community Stadium, but failed to convert his second-half spot kick. Mathias Jensen’s late rocket rubbed salt in the wounds for the Red Devils, who suffered their third Premier League defeat of the season.
Here are three takeaways as the pressure rises for Amorim in the hot seat.
Amorim Denied Back-to-Back Premier League Wins
There was a tantalising milestone on the line for Amorim in west London, with the head coach able to secure back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time by beating Brentford. He enjoyed his first successive home wins in the league by defeating Chelsea last weekend and was aiming to rid himself of another albatross from around his neck.
But United's job became near impossible after just 20 minutes in west London, with any confidence built from the Chelsea triumph dissipating. The Red Devils were sliced open repeatedly by their hosts in the early stages, finding themselves two goals behind within the blink of an eye. Amorim repeatedly glanced hopelessly at the turf, wondering when—if ever—his side will turn the corner.
The result leaves United 12th in the Premier League table and they could finish Gameweek 6 as low as 17th. It's another inexcusable start to the season for the Red Devils.
First Start for New-Look Front Three
For the first time this season, United started with all three members of their fabulous new-look front three. Over £200 million ($267.7 million) of talent led the line for the Red Devils in west London, with Bryan Mbeumo receiving a warm reception on his return to the Gtech Community Stadium—initially, at least.
United's shambolic defending in the early stages was contrasted by a relatively encouraging attacking performance in the first half. Šeško was on hand to reduce Brentford’s lead and open his account for his new employers, firing home from close range with his fifth attempt of the first 26 minutes. Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo both looked lively when receiving possession in the pockets. too, with connections beginning to form between the trio.
Cunha was United’s leading attacking threat after the restart, moving through his repertoire of tricks and flicks as he connected with his fellow forwards. A neat move down the right flank saw the Brazilian slide a cross towards Mbeumo, who won a penalty after being dragged to the turf. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, Fernandes was unable to score from 12 yards for the second time this season.
If there is to be one consolation from another bruising defeat, it’s United’s front three. They were by no means excellent against the Bees, but they offered glimpses of their immense promise. In time, they will find their feet.
Disastrous Defending
Amorim had his side on extensive set-piece defence practice during the warm-up at the Gtech, but it had zero impact on United's ability to counter Brentford’s direct approach. Long balls undid the Red Devils as Thiago netted his early brace, with even the aerially dominant Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire overpowered.
Set pieces proved a consistent thorn in United's side, whether it was Michael Kayode’s impressive long throws or Mikkel Damsgaard's teasing corner deliveries. Both of Brentford’s central defenders forced Altay Bayındır into action in between the home side’s first-half strikes, with nerves jangling every time the ball was launched into the visitors’ box.
United’s struggles from set pieces and crosses were on full show last season and despite having an entire pre-season to remedy the problem, Amorim has been unable to fix his side’s glaring weakness. Such half-baked defensive displays will always be punished in the Premier League, something United are repeatedly discovering.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Brentford 3–1 Man Utd: Three Takeaways As Disastrous Defending Costs Red Devils Again.
