Sesko Strikes as Fernandes Fluffs Penalty: Man Utd Crumble 3-1 to Brentford - Player Ratings
Bruno Fernandes squandered a crucial second-half spot-kick as Manchester United suffered a disappointing 3-1 Premier League loss at Brentford on Saturday afternoon, intensifying the mounting pressure on manager Ruben Amorim.
The Red Devils hoped to capitalize on momentum following their previous weekend's triumph against Chelsea, but instead found themselves trailing by two goals inside the opening 20 minutes due to disastrous defensive lapses.
Brentford forward Igor Thiago skillfully evaded United's offside line and delivered a powerful shot to break the deadlock, with a single long ball forward completely exposing Amorim's three-man defense. Altay Bayındır managed to thwart two point-blank headers as the home side controlled proceedings, though he couldn't stop the Bees from extending their lead.
Another direct aerial delivery completely unsettled United's backline, allowing Thiago an easy finish after Kevin Schade's delivery was parried into his path by Bayındır. Amorim could only watch in dismay as his team crumbled in west London.
The Portuguese manager received a brief moment of encouragement midway through the opening period when Benjamin Šeško netted his first United goal to narrow the gap. The Slovenian required three attempts to capitalize on questionable goalkeeping from Caoimhín Kelleher, but finally converted from close quarters.
United showed improved intensity following Šeško's goal but remained vulnerable defensively. Bayındır was forced into action around the hour mark to repel two additional Brentford chances, with Van den Berg and Dango Ouattara both threatening the keeper from within the box.
United seemed to receive a lifeline with quarter of an hour remaining when Nathan Collins was sanctioned for hauling down Bryan Mbeumo in the penalty box—the defender receiving only a yellow card when a red seemed warranted—but Fernandes, having already failed from the spot against Fulham this campaign, was thwarted by Kelleher to maintain Brentford's advantage.
Fernandes' penalty miss drained the confidence from the Red Devils, who failed to create meaningful chances while desperately pursuing an equalizer. Matters deteriorated further for Amorim and his squad when Mathias Jensen powered home Brentford's third during injury time, sealing another disappointing result for United.
Man Utd Player Ratings (3-4-2-1)
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
Player | Rating (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Altay Bayındır | 6.1 |
CB: Matthijs de Ligt | 6.4 |
CB: Harry Maguire | 6.2 |
CB: Luke Shaw | 5.9 |
RWB: Diogo Dalot | 6.8 |
CM: Manuel Ugarte | 6.9 |
CM: Bruno Fernandes | 6.5 |
LWB: Patrick Dorgu | 7.1 |
RF: Bryan Mbeumo | 7.1 |
ST: Benjamin Šeško | 8.0 |
LF: Matheus Cunha | 6.7 |
SUB: Leny Yoro (66' for Maguire) | 6.4 |
SUB: Kobbie Mainoo (66' for Ugarte) | 6.2 |
SUB: Mason Mount (80' for Shaw) | 6.1 |
SUB: Joshua Zirkzee (85' for Dorgu) | N/A |
Subs not used: Senne Lammens (GK), Tom Heaton (GK), Ayden Heaven, Diego León, Tyler Fredricson.
Player of the Match: Igor Thiago
Man Utd Player of the Match: Benjamin Sesko
Brentford (4-2-3-1): Caomhín Kelleher; Michael Kayode, Sepp van den Berg, Nathan Collins, Aaron Hickey; Jordan Henderson, Yehor Yarmolyuk; Dango Outtara, Mikkel Damsgaard, Kevin Schade; Igor Thiago.
Subs: Hákon Valdimarsson (GK), Ethan Pinnock, Keane Lewis-Potter, Kristoffer Ajer, Rico Henry, Atoni Milambo, Frank Onyeka, Vitaly Janelt, Mathias Jensen.