United comeback eases pressure on Ten Hag
Manchester United launched a second-half fightback to ease the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag with an important 2-1 victory over Brentford.
United needed two stoppage-time goals to beat the Bees on their previous visit to Old Trafford in October 2023, and its powers of recovery were required again in this fixture.
Ethan Pinnock headed Brentford into the lead five minutes into first-half stoppage-time, nodding Mikkel Damsgaard's corner home after Matthijs de Ligt was forced off temporarily with a head injury.
However, two moments of individual class turned the game around in the second half.
Alejandro Garnacho levelled within two minutes of the restart when he volleyed in from Marcus Rashford's cross.
United upped the ante from there, and the pressure paid off shortly after the hour mark as Rasmus Hojlund latched onto Bruno Fernandes's backheel before coolly lobbing Mark Flekken.
Ten Hag said United used Brentford's "unfair" opener as fuel to fight back for the victory.
The Red Devils were forced to defend the corner with 10 men after De Ligt was ordered off the pitch for treatment after bleeding from his head after an earlier collision with Kevin Schade.
While rules say players cannot be allowed to continue while bleeding, Ten Hag was incensed by referee Samuel Barrott asking him to leave the field.
"We didn't know why the referee brought one of our players in a critical moment off the pitch," he said.
"It was dry blood – it happened before. Then in a critical moment on a corner for them, which is their strength, they bring one of our best headers off and Brentford benefit from it."
However, he hailed United's powers of recovery.
"We are happy to win the game. At United, you have to win games but also to bring entertainment," the Dutchman continued.
"I think for everyone it was an enjoyable game. Especially the way it happened, when you concede an unfair goal.
"In the second half, we showed we are together, we showed determination and we scored two beautiful goals.
"Everyone was angry. We took that as fuel. We showed with a quick start in the second half that we wanted to put things right and we did with two beautiful goals."
