Manchester United will be desperate to return to winning ways when they welcome Brentford to Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The elongated Gameweek 29 of the 2022/23 season continues, with Wednesday hosting two matches. And one of those two fixtures will see Manchester United hosting Brentford at Old Trafford, with both teams looking to bounce back to winning ways.
Manchester United entered April after a horrendous March, where they failed to score a goal in the Premier League. But the Red Devils were at their fighting best in the FA Cup, reaching the semi-finals, where they will face Brighton & Hove Albion. But Erik ten Hag’s charges come into their latest fixture on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United this past weekend.
On the other hand, Brentford’s charge under the tutelage of Thomas Frank continues. The Bees have made constant progress in the last two seasons. And they are in contention to clinch European qualification, as they are currently seventh, seven points behind third-placed Newcastle United.
The reverse fixture saw Brentford trounce Manchester United, handing a 4-0 defeat at the Brentford Community Stadium. And The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
🗣️ “Not for tomorrow but he’s returning on the pitch and returning to team training today.”
Erik ten Hag says Christian Eriksen is close to returning from injury for Manchester United. 💪 pic.twitter.com/wTYUt6FhNz
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 4, 2023
Erik ten Hag has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest game. Against Brentford on Wednesday, the Manchester United manager will be bereft of the services of five first-team players.
The good news is that Aaron Wan-Bissaka is available after recovering from an illness. The 25-year-old will return to the starting eleven straightaway, replacing Diogo Dalot, who has looked out of sorts since the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen (ankle) remains unavailable as he continues to regain fitness after recovering from his issue. In addition, Casemiro continues to serve a suspension, while Tom Heaton (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee), and Alejandro Garnacho (ankle) remain on the sidelines.
Wan-Bissaka will join Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, and Luke Shaw in the defensive unit. Meanwhile, David de Gea picks himself between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him.
Scott McTominay did not carry over his international form to the Manchester United game. And he might drop to the bench, with Fred replacing him in the middle of the park. The Brazilian midfielder will join Marcel Sabitzer in the double pivot.
Antony might also lose his spot after a sub-par showing against Newcastle United. So Jadon Sancho should return to the offensive unit. Bruno Fernandes will reprise his no. 10 role, with Marcus Rashford starting on the left flank. Finally, Anthony Martial will return, replacing Wout Weghorst in the starting eleven.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): de Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Sabitzer, Fred; Sancho, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford; Martial
Brentford
Like his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Thomas Frank does not have a new roster issue hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Brentford manager will be without four first-team players on Wednesday.
And like Erik ten Hag, Frank will greet the return of a player after Shandon Baptiste served a suspension. But Kristoffer Ajer (calf), Keane Lewis-Potter (knee), Frank Onyeka (thigh), and Vitaly Janelt (knee) remain on the sidelines.
💬
"We try to go to every ground being brave, cool, and aggressive and go for three points. They will come flying, fighting for every ball and their skillset is absolutely frightening but we believe in our ability to do something"#MUNBRE pic.twitter.com/f6oLPLFTeS
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) April 3, 2023
Frank shifted from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 against Brighton & Hove Albion. And he might opt for a 3-4-3 formation versus Manchester United, looking to pile on the pressure on a suspect David de Gea. So Pontus Jansson, Ethan Pinnock, and Ben Mee will form the central defensive unit again.
Aaron Hicket and Rico Henry should be the two wing-backs. And the duo will look to ping accurate crosses into the box and test de Gea’s cross-claiming ability. Mathias Jensen and Christian Norgaard pick themselves in the middle of the park.
The trusted trio of Yoane Wissa, Ivan Toney, and Bryan Mbeumo will form the offensive trifecta. The three players will be aggressive while pressing, aiming to stop Manchester United’s attempts to play out from the back. And that will create opportunities by forcing mistakes from the opponent’s defenders and de Gea.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Raya; Jansson, Pinnock, Mee; Hickey, Jensen, Norgaard, Henry; Mbeumo, Toney, Wissa
Key Stats
- In a run stretching back to 1939, Manchester United have won their last three home league games against Brentford by an aggregate score of 10-1, winning 3-0 in this fixture last season.
- Brentford won 2-1 at Manchester City earlier this season. The last London club to win away against both Manchester clubs in the same league campaign was Arsenal in 1990/91.
- Manchester United have lost just one of their last 22 Premier League home games (W14 D7). The Red Devils are on the longest current home run without defeat in the competition (12 games) since losing 2-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening weekend.
- Manchester United have failed to score in their last three Premier League games. They have never gone four matches without a goal in the competition, last doing so in the league overall in April 1989.
- Ivan Toney has scored 17 Premier League goals this season. Only one Brentford player has ever scored more in a top-flight campaign, with Dave McCulloch doing so three times (26 in 1935/36, 31 in 1936/37, and 26 in 1937/38).
Player to Watch
Marcus Rashford
It is starting to become a running theme, but the Marcus Rashford juggernaut seems to be slowing down lately. The Englishman has been in the form of his life this season, often scoring goals for fun. But opponents are starting to figure him out and contain him better.
But Rashford has an impeccable record at Old Trafford this term, scoring 18 goals at Old Trafford across all competitions. That is the most by a Manchester United player at home in a single season since 2011/12 (Wayne Rooney, 19). Rashford will be eager to improve on that record and guide Manchester United to a win against Brentford.
Prediction
Manchester United 1-1 Brentford
The two teams will seek a win for different reasons on Wednesday. While Manchester United will be desperate to get the top-four chase back on track. Brentford will be eager to put pressure on Brighton & Hove Albion, who face Bournemouth on Tuesday.
But the Bees have lost just one of their last 16 Premier League games (W7 D8), going down 1-0 at Everton last month. So Manchester United might find it difficult to stop the Brentford onslaught. However, the hosts might finally end their goalscoring woes, albeit only to secure a point. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw for Wednesday’s game, with the result not helping Manchester United.
