Premier League: Erik ten Hag Has to Think Outside the Box Versus the Bees

Manchester United vs Brentford

Manchester United are in dire need of a win to alleviate some pressure off Erik ten Hag’s shoulders, and they’re hoping to get it when they host Brentford for their first Premier League match after the October international break.

Since demolishing Barnsley 7-0 in the EFL Cup third round last month, the Red Devils are winless in their last five matches, although four of them are draws. That’s not going to cut it for Manchester United fans because they’re close to the relegation zone at 14^th place with only eight points.

As for Brentford, they’re three notches above Manchester United. They recently had their own poor stretch of Premier League 2024 results, but they went to the international break with a huge 5-3 win against Wolves.

Overall, this is a tricky matchup for both sides, which makes for another potentially thrilling encounter at Old Trafford this weekend.

 

Talking Points

Manchester United desperately need a left-back

Erik ten Hag is dealt a new lineup blow after it was reported that Noussair Mazraoui had a corrective procedure for heart palpitations during the international break.

Mazraoui joined Manchester United on a relatively cheap fee during the summer transfer window and has nailed the starting right-back job. As a result, Diogo Dalot will have to move back on the right side.

With Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia still on the sidelines, Erik ten Hag will be forced to play a player out of his natural position again, and according to reports, the Dutchman is looking at Jonny Evans to fill the void.

Evans, who won 11 out of 12 duels and all five of his aerials during their goalless draw against Aston Villa, was Manchester United’s most recent Man of the Match. With him leading the way, the Red Devils limited the Villans to 11 shots and a meagre xG of 0.42.

Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt will also be busy at the back since Harry Maguire is also expected to be out for a few weeks due to the foot injury he sustained against Aston Villa.

 

Brentford like to strike fast

Thomas Frank’s side is one of the most prolific attacking teams in the Premier League today. They have already scored 13 league goals after the first seven matchdays, good for joint-fourth best in the English top-flight.

What’s impressive about Brentford’s recent goalscoring exploits is them finding the back of the net within the first two minutes of the match in each of their last three against Tottenham, West Ham, and Wolves. For context, this particular feat hasn’t been done since Everton in 1998-99.

Given Manchester United’s defensive frailties, we won’t be surprised if Brentford pulls this off again since they have the players who have done it, as Bryan Mbeumo has done it twice and Nathan Collins did this once.

Mbeumo has taken over as the Bees’ no. 1 option since the departure of Ivan Toney. The Cameroonian international already has six league goals, which is more than Manchester United’s goal total so far this term.

 

History

Since losing 4-0 in August 2022, which was Erik ten Hag’s second match in charge of Manchester United, the Red Devils have gone undefeated in their last three meetings against Brentford (W2, D1).

The October 2023 meeting between these two teams at Old Trafford produced a classic. Manchester United were trailing for the most part after Mathias Jensen’s 26^th-minute goal, but they came back through super sub Scott McTominay, who scored two goals in added time.

Furthermore, their 1-1 draw at the reverse fixture also saw two added time goals, as Mason Mount and Kristoffer Ajer scored. It also marked Mount’s first-ever goal in Manchester Uniform.

Manchester United have won each of their last five home league matches against Brentford by an aggregate score of 13-2. The last time they lost to the Bees at home was in February 1937.

 

Betting Tip

Despite their uninspiring form, the Red Devils are favoured to win this weekend. The latest Premier League 2024 odds have Manchester United as 1.63 favourites, whereas Brentford are at 4.26, and a draw is at 3.96 in the 1X2 market.

Still, this doesn’t give enough confidence for this SBOTOP writer to fully back Erik ten Hag’s side for this contest. Instead, we will guess the goal count of this game, and our recommended bet above sounds like the most plausible option. Furthermore, going for alternative options like Over 3.00 at 1.82 and Over 3.25 at 2.14 is worth considering, especially if the Bees run riot again at Old Trafford.

     

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