Game Week 8 Predictions: United must beat Brentford on Saturday

Manchester United and Brentford clash in a crucial game; Red Devils seek to reverse their shocking decline.

 

Marcus Rashford and Bryan Mbeumo both have it all to do to lift their respective teams from their current abyss when Brentford travels to Old Trafford on Saturday. (Photo credit: Sporting News)

Manchester United vs Brentford

Old Trafford

3:00pm

Two teams on a shocking decline meet in the sunshine on Saturday at Old Trafford and except you’re neutral, your heart should be in your mouth for this fixture.

Brentford hasn’t won a single game in five attempts and as a matter of fact, they have lost three of them including a home loss to struggling Everton 3-1 and two draws against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth in games folks would have expected them to win.

Manchester United continue to embarrass their fans and you wonder what is to come from this fixture. Three losses in five games and four losses in seven league games have left Erik Ten Hag’s side in tenth on the log.

The Red Devils have been so inconsistent that they don’t only sit nine points off the top of the table, but they also have a grand total of zero points in the Champions League after losing to Galatasaray at Old Trafford in midweek and sit bottom of a group that includes FC Copenhagen.

Brentford will look at this game as a free hit considering their form but if they look at the form of their opponent, they should go for this game and hold United by the scruff of their neck like they did at the G-Tech Community Ground last season.

Injuries cannot be a tenable excuse to the Red Devils; they have enough to see out games and they must explain how they beat Crystal Palace 3-0 in a League Cup game and then lost 1-0 at home to the same team in the league a few days later.

The Ivan Toney void is beginning to tell on the Bees but they have to take their chances when they get some too. Yoan Wissa’s work rate needs end products and Bryan Mbeumo also has to step up once again to weigh in with goals.

Bruno Fernandes is having an underwhelming start to the new season but he had games he came through for United but what about the purple patch man, Marcus Rashford? The striker is probably waiting for January to hit form again and then stat-pad with “after January” data.

Rasmus Hojlund is looking like a real deal but his teammates need to help him. Alejandro Garnacho is another player with promises and Ten Hag must give him the chance to shine. Antony is back in contention but will he be named in the squad?

Verdict: United to win