Match Preview: Manchester United v Brentford

Brentford return to Premier League action with a visit to Manchester United on Saturday (3pm kick-off GMT).

The Bees beat Wolves 5-3 in a pulsating final fixture before the October international break – a result which left them 11th in the table – while United sit 14th having drawn 0-0 with Aston Villa last time out.

Analysis, team news, match officials and more. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the meeting at Old Trafford.

Pre-match Analysis

Stephen Gillett, Playmaker Stats: McTominay-inspired late heartbreak leaves Brentford with a score to settle at Old Trafford

Brentford's two Premier League fixtures against Manchester United last season could best be described as frustrating.

Two stoppage-time Scott McTominay strikes proved a total buzzkill for the Bees in a 2-1 reverse at Old Trafford last October, as Thomas Frank's side snatched a "brutal" defeat from the jaws of victory after Mathias Jensen had put the visitors ahead midway through the first half.

The return fixture at Gtech Community Stadium saw the Bees record a 1-1 draw, thanks to a late goal of their own: Kristoffer Ajer's strike in the ninth minute of injury-time enough to earn his side a share of the spoils.

What looked a good point on paper, however, was tempered by Brentford's sheer dominance of that evening encounter last March.

In total, Brentford fired in 31 shots on United's goal - a Premier League record for the Bees - and took 85 touches in the Red Devils' penalty box, thus joining Man City as the only team since 2008/09 to take 80+ touches in an opponent's 18-yard box.

Oh, and the Londoners also hit the woodwork four times! No wonder Frank afterwards stated that the Bees had "smashed" Erik ten Hag's side and branded United "unbelievably lucky".

It is fair to say Brentford have a score to settle then ahead of the latest instalment in the saga, as the Bees and the Red Devils return to domestic action after the international break.

Brentford currently sit 11th in the table, three places and two points better off than United, who are under pressure after a difficult start that has seen them pick up just eight points - their lowest tally in the opening seven matches of a season since 1989/90.

There are plenty of stats to put a spring in Brentford's step ahead of their visit to the Theatre of Dreams, but others to be wary of.

Bryan Mbeumo 6 Manchester United 5 read the Premier League goal charts this season, and the fantastic goalscoring form of Brentford's flying forward contrasts sharply with the Red Devils' well-publicised struggles in front of goal.

Only Erling Haaland (10) has hit more goals than the Cameroon international in the top flight this season and Mbeumo's clinical form is clearly underlined by his goals-per-shot ratio of 0.33, which is up there with the best in the division - Liam Delap (0.36), Jhon Duran and Jamie Vardy (both 0.40) the only players to boast a better shot conversion rate.

United, meanwhile, finished last season with a negative goal difference (-1) and have continued to stutter in front of goal this term.

The Red Devils are currently on a streak of 270 minutes without a goal and have notched only one league strike at home so far. At present, they also have the second-worst xG differential (-5.96xG) in the Premier League.

That said, there is underlying data that suggests United are a more competitive outfit in 2024/25. The Red Devils have been criticised in the past, even by Ten Hag himself, for their application in games, but this season the Dutchman's side lead the league for tackles won (22.3) and interceptions (12.6) per game.

Further, only Liverpool (5) have kept more Premier League clean sheets than the Red Devils during the current campaign and a shutout percentage of 57 per cent suggests that United are tight at the back.

Brentford have some statistical monkeys of their own to get off their back. All 10 of the Bees' points this season have been earned at the Gtech and Frank's side are yet to keep a clean sheet this term - so a defensively sound performance on the road would be lovely from a Bees perspective.

With United struggling on their own patch and Brentford looking to find their feet away from the Gtech, a cagey game could be in store and one area the Bees could look to exploit relates to their exemplary disciplinary record.

This season, no team has picked up fewer bookings than Brentford (12) and the London club have also conceded the joint-fewest free-kicks (46) in the Premier League, level with champions Manchester City.

United, meanwhile, have committed 85 fouls and been cautioned on 24 occasions; captain Bruno Fernandes sent off against Spurs, even though the dismissal was later overturned on appeal.

Small details such as free-kicks conceded can exponentially influence matches at the highest level and Brentford's set-piece specialists will no doubt be looking to punish the Red Devils should their discipline waver.

A set-piece that will definitely come Brentford's way this weekend will be at least one kick-off... and the Bees will no doubt look to dial up the pressure up at Old Trafford on Saturday with a trademark early goal!

In the Dugout

Erik ten Hag

Before he became a manager, Erik ten Hag had a 13-year playing career as a centre-back in his native Netherlands, the majority of which was spent FC Twente, whom he signed for on three separate occasions. He lifted the KNVB Cup in 2000/01 and retired at De Grolsch Veste, aged 32 in 2002.

He spent the four years that followed his retirement as a coach in Twente’s youth set-up, before working as the first-team assistant to Fred Rutten and, later, to Steve McClaren during his first spell in charge of the Dutch club. Rutten brought Ten Hag with him to PSV in 2009, helping the club to successive third-place finishes in the Eredivisie.

Four months after Rutten was sacked in 2012, Ten Hag was appointed as a manager in his own right for the first time at Eerste Divisie side Go Ahead Eagles, whom he led to promotion in his first and only season in charge. He then moved on to Bayern Munich II, who he guided to the Regionalliga Bayern in 2013/14, with a squad that included Emre Can and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg.

In May 2015, he joined former club Utrecht and left after two and a half years, and a 51 per cent win ratio, to join Ajax three days after Christmas in 2017. It was at the Johan Cruyff Arena that he really started to make a name for himself.

In four and a half years, his team won the Eredivisie three times, the KNVB Cup twice and the Johan Cruyff Shield on one occasion, as well as reaching the semi-final of the Champions League in 2018/19 and the quarter-final of the Europa League in 2020/21.

Ten Hag signed a new two-year deal with Ajax in May 2021, but, 11 months later, it was announced he would become the new Manchester United manager. He later left the Dutch club earlier than expected to begin work at Old Trafford after Ralf Rangnick’s short spell in charge.

The Dutchman – who signed a new two-year deal in July - reached 125 games in charge before the October international break and has the third-best win ratio of any permanent manager in United’s history with 55.2 per cent, behind only Jose Mourinho (58.3%) and Sir Alex Ferguson (59.7%).

The Gameplan

With Tyrone Marshall, senior football writer at the Manchester Evening News

Tyrone Marshall, senior football writer at the Manchester Evening News, explains how Erik ten Hag is likely to set up his side at Old Trafford on Saturday:

“4-2-3-1, with Rasmus Højlund, probably their best striker, up front.

“Then I would think it would be Garnacho and Rashford, but Ten Hag has rotated a bit on the wings.

“Bruno Fernandes is available after winning his red card appeal, so will definitely play, but beyond that, it is a bit of an unknown.

“They have not got enough full-backs, with Noussair Mazraoui being out, so whether Diogo Dalot comes back to right-back or stays at left-back, I do not know. It is very much square pegs in round holes in that department at the moment.

“The other interesting one, from a selection point of view, is who plays in holding midfield. He has played Christian Eriksen and Kobbie Mainoo there in the last few games and Manuel Ugarte did not get a kick against Porto or Villa.”

Last Premier League starting XI v Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Evans, Dalot; Mainoo, Eriksen; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Højlund

Read our full interview with Tyrone Marshall here.

Match Officials

Barrott returns for second Brentford game of the season

Referee: Sam Barrott

Assistants: Lee Betts and Steven Meredith

Fourth official: Gavin Ward

VAR: David Coote

Sam Barrott refereed his first Premier League game last season – Fulham’s 3-1 victory over Sheffield United – having previously worked in the National League and EFL.

The West Riding based official refereed 43 games across all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign, showing 133 yellow cards and three reds.

Barrott was the man in the middle for Brentford’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace on 18 August.

Last Meeting

Brentford 1 Manchester United 1 (Premier League, 30 March 2024)

Kristoffer Ajer’s second goal in as many matches earned Brentford a point they more than merited against Manchester United on Saturday evening.

The away side took the lead against the run of play six minutes into added time – substitute Mason Mount sweeping beyond Bees keeper Mark Flekken – but Ajer converted Ivan Toney’s cutback three minutes later in a dramatic finale at Gtech Community Stadium.