Rasmus Højlund's decisive strike showcased undeniable skill and provided a much-needed sense of calm for Erik ten Hag and his struggling Manchester United, who finally secured three points for the first time since their victory over Southampton in mid-September. On the 62nd minute, Brentford was cornered near their right flag. The ball was secured, Christian Eriksen delivered a pass to Bruno Fernandes, whose no-look flick to Højlund was as elegant as the striker's delicate chip over Brentford's goalkeeper, Mark Flekken, who had gone to ground.
This goal followed a volleyed equalizer by Alejandro Garnacho just two minutes into the second half, a fitting response to the chaos orchestrated by Ten Hag and his medical staff just before halftime that led to Brentford's opening goal. When this happened, it seemed to symbolize United's woes. As the visitors prepared to take a corner from the left, Matthijs de Ligt was instructed by referee Sam Barrott to leave the field for a third time to have a head wound treated. During this interruption, Mikkel Damsgaard's free-kick found Ethan Pinnock unmarked in the middle of André Onana's goal, where the Dutchman should have been, to head in.
This led to De Ligt furiously confronting the fourth official Gavin Ward, with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ten Hag also expressing their anger, resulting in bookings for the latter two. However, it should be noted that United's medics had already attempted to stop De Ligt's bleeding twice, and Ten Hag, as the manager, was ultimately responsible for not replacing the defender earlier. De Ligt, without any bandage, returned for the second half and, within two minutes, United crafted a perfect response: a curling cross from Marcus Rashford to the far post was powerfully struck by Garnacho to equalize, marking his first league goal since the 3-0 win over Southampton and increasing United's Premier League goal tally by 20% to six.
This moment saw Ten Hag and Van Nistelrooy embrace, and United's spirits soared, which was a stark contrast to their mood entering the match. Ten Hag had dismissed some pre-match reports suggesting his job was at risk during the international break as 'fairytales and lies'. He did not address how United's 14th place standing, with eight points from seven matches and a goal difference of -3, might have added pressure. Additionally, the recent decision to cut Sir Alex Ferguson's £2.6m salary as a United 'global ambassador' added to the intrigue surrounding the club.
Despite these challenges, United emerged victorious and deservedly so. De Ligt's injury occurred when he collided with Kevin Schade's knee rather than the ball, and the centre-back was fortunate to continue. United, determined not to be overshadowed by the chaos involving De Ligt, now look ahead to their Europa League match against Fenerbahce and a trip to West Ham. Can they finally find consistency? Their lack of it is as glaring as their lack of a defined game model, which are, of course, interconnected.
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