Garnacho and Hojlund goals see United battle back to earn much-needed win
GOAL-SCORERS: Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund celebrates with Alejandro Garnacho. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
An impressive second half recovery, and well-taken goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund, delivered Manchester United and manager Erik ten Hag a much-needed victory at the end of yet another turbulent Old Trafford week.
Just days after new owner Jim Ratcliffe took the controversial decision to sack Alex Ferguson from his role as United’s global ambassador, defeat would have spelled disaster for his club, and their manager in particular.
United had gone into the interval trailing to Ethan Pinnock’s opener but, fortunately for their manager and the pressure that would have mounted in the second half, were level after 47 minutes.
Garnacho, a bright spark in an otherwise depressing start to the season for United, converted the equaliser with a superb volley at the far post following Marcus Rashford’s perfectly-judged cross.
And, as United finally began to dominate, they were ahead just after the hour when Bruno Fernandes played in Hojliund with an audacious back-heel and the Dane scored with a lifted finish over the keeper.
It was the response ten Hag sorely needed after a controversial end to the first half left the manager with a figurative headache and defender Matthijs de Ligt with a literal one.
De Ligt had suffered a head wound after 11 minutes, and already twice been off the field for treatment, when referee Sam Barrett ordered the defender off the field again as Mikkel Damsgaard prepared to take a Brentford corner in the fifth minute of added time.
The decision was correct, given the gaping cut and blood streaming down the United man’s face and begged the question why the injury had not already been fixed, or de Ligt substituted.
Instead, Damsgaard took the corner and Pinnock ran away from Diogo Dalot, meeting the ball and scoring with a powerful header from eight yards.
United reacted with fury, with United assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy storming down the touchline to argue with the fourth official as to why de Ligt had been forced off the field.
But United had no case, with the officials having acted by the letter of the law, and van Nistelrooy, along with ten Hag, were booked for their complaints, with the disputes continuing down the tunnel at half-time.
“We were mad, we were angry at half-time because the first half was not perfect but we had control of the game,” said ten Hag.
“We didn’t concede chances, we created some chances, then you feel injustice if you concede a goal in that way.
“Nothing had changed with Matthijs. I spoke with him and it was dried blood, he was alright after that injury so no-one understood why he was sent off the pitch. It was a huge moment because Brentford are very good at set-pieces and we were missing one of our best headers.
“The pressure is always there at Man United, we have to win every game, and when you are 1-0 down you have to somehow turn it around. We felt some injustice and we used this as fuel for the second half, increased the tempo and scored two great goals.” Brentford manager Thomas Frank believed the officials did the right thing in ordering off the United defender.
“It was good refereeing, if I’m honest,” he said. “I always try to look at it from both sides and, if United had the corner and the ref decided to take out Nathan Collins then I’m pretty sure they would take the corner quickly. It was just bad luck.”
The moment summed up so many of the problems that United have faced this season and, as in other games, it had been a case of missed chances costing United to that point.
By the interval, United had not scored in 315 minutes of Premier League football and Christian Eriksen had missed the best chance to end that drought in the first half.
The Dane was clean through on goal, following an error by Nathan Collins, but lifted his shot over the bar from eight yards after 34 minutes.
Brentford keeper Mark Flekken was fortunate after fumbling a Lisandro Martinez header which was scrambled to safety and Garnacho gave a preview of things to come with a couple of chances which the keeper saved well.
Garancho was not finished with his goal and, four minutes after his equaliser, cut in from the left to produce a superb long-range strike which Flekken did well to turn around his post at full stretch.
Onana 6; Dalot 5, de Ligt 5, Evans 7 (Lindelof 88), Martinez 6; Casemiro 7 (Ugarte 88), Eriksen 6; Garnacho 9 (Mazraoui 90), Fernandes 7, Rashford 7; Hojlund 7 (Zirkzee 73, 5).
Bayindir, Fletcher, Diallo, Wheatley, Antony.
Flekken 5; van den Berg 6 (Roerslev 86), Collins 5, Pinnock 6, Ajer 6; Janelt 7 (Yarmoliuk 74, 5), Norgaard 5; Mbeumo 6, Damsgaard 6, Lewis-Potter 5 (Wissa 65, 5); Schade 7 (Carvalho 74, 5).
Konak, Mee, Meghoma, Trevitt, Vladimarsson.
S Barrott 6.
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