October 19th 2024.
Manchester United faced a tough match against Brentford at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils needing a win to ease the pressure on their manager, Erik ten Hag. However, things didn't go as planned in the first half as Brentford took the lead just before half-time. The defending from United's Diogo Dalot was heavily criticized, with pundits labeling it as "embarrassing."
Despite a shaky start, Manchester United were determined to turn things around in the second half. However, their task was made even more difficult when Brentford's Ethan Pinnock scored a powerful header from a corner kick. Dalot was responsible for marking Pinnock, but he let him slip away and paid the price for it.
To make matters worse, United's defender Matthijs de Ligt had to leave the pitch multiple times due to a head injury. Former Rangers and Celtic striker Kris Boyd pointed out that United couldn't blame the referees for this, as it was the responsibility of their medical team to take care of their players.
Pundits also didn't hold back in their criticism of United's defending, with Chris Sutton calling it "embarrassing." Even legendary striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was sitting in the stands, had a word with the fourth official about the situation. However, United couldn't afford to dwell on their shortcomings for too long as they needed to focus on turning things around in the second half.
And that's exactly what they did. United came out with a renewed sense of determination and scored an immediate equalizer through Alejandro Garnacho, who volleyed home a cross from Marcus Rashford. The momentum shifted in United's favor and they took the lead on the hour mark through Rasmus Hojlund's first Premier League goal of the season.
The win was a much-needed one for United and Ten Hag, who had faced a lot of scrutiny before the international break. It also lifted them into the top-half of the Premier League table, above Brentford in 12th place. It was a hard-fought victory, but United will be looking to build on this performance and climb further up the table in the coming weeks.
Despite the win, there were still some concerns about United's performance, with former Everton star Leon Osman pointing out that they were lucky to have De Ligt on the pitch for so long despite his head injury. He also criticized their defending, especially Dalot's marking on the goal. However, for now, United will be relieved to have secured the three points and will be looking to improve in their upcoming matches.
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