Blistering Start from the Bees
Brentford, under the guidance of new boss Keith Andrews, tore into their visitors from the first whistle, capitalising on sloppy United defending. The opening goal arrived just 8 minutes in when a long, lofted pass from Jordan Henderson split the defensive line, finding Igor Thiago who raced past Harry Maguire and finished brilliantly into the top corner. Before United could steady themselves, the Brazilian struck again in the 20th minute. A low drive from Kevin Schade was parried by United keeper Altay Bayındır, but the onrushing Thiago was quickest to react, tucking the rebound home to give the Bees a shock 2-0 lead.
Šeško Opens His United Account
Manchester United found a lifeline six minutes later through new signing Benjamin Šeško. After a scramble in the box following a cross from Patrick Dorgu, the Slovenian striker showed persistence, bundling the ball past Kelleher at the third attempt to net his first goal for the club and halve the deficit at 2-1. The goal gave the traveling support hope that their side could turn the game around.
Penalty Drama: Kelleher's Crucial Save
The second half became a tense battle, but the defining moment came around the 76th minute. United were awarded a penalty after Nathan Collins pulled back former teammate Bryan Mbeumo in the box. Following a lengthy VAR check for a potential red card, Bruno Fernandes stepped up to take the crucial spot-kick. However, his low strike was brilliantly saved by Brentford's Caoimhín Kelleher, who guessed correctly and threw himself to his right to push the ball away. The save sucked the momentum out of United's fightback and preserved the Bees' slender lead.
Jensen Seals the Victory
As Manchester United desperately chased an equaliser in the eight minutes of stoppage time, Brentford sealed the well-deserved three points with a counter-attack. Yehor Yarmoliuk surged into the United half before finding substitute Mathias Jensen. The Danish midfielder cut inside and unleashed a spectacular swerving strike from 20 yards out that flew into the back of the net in the 90+5th minute, making the final score 3-1.
The victory extends Brentford's unbeaten run at the Gtech and gives Keith Andrews a significant statement win. For Ruben Amorim and Manchester United, the dismal display—characterized by defensive errors and a costly penalty miss—increases the scrutiny as the club falls back into the bottom half of the Premier League table.
