Match week 8 witnessed a tense affair as Manchester United narrowly edged past Brentford 2-1, overturning a first-half deficit. The game was packed with drama, with United needing a second-half resurgence to secure all three points.
Momentum and Key Stats
Manchester United dominated the match in terms of expected goals (xG), registering a commanding 2.80 xG compared to Brentford’s 0.61. The momentum graph clearly shows United’s second-half surge, particularly after Alejandro Garnacho’s goal in the 47th minute (xG 0.14), followed by Rasmus Højlund’s strike in the 62nd minute (xG 0.08). Brentford had taken the lead in the 50th minute through Ethan Pinnock (xG 0.19), but struggled to maintain any consistent pressure thereafter.
Shot Analysis
The shot maps tell the story of two contrasting approaches. Brentford were efficient but limited in their attacking play, managing only 2 shots on target from 10 total attempts. One of these resulted in Pinnock’s goal, but they failed to build on this lead. In contrast,
Manchester United were relentless, peppering Brentford’s goal with 24 shots, 12 of which were on target. The home side created high-quality chances, especially from central positions inside the box, as seen in their shot map, with 2 goals coming from close range.
Possession and Passing Tactics
United’s pass map highlights their midfield dominance, with Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen at the heart of their buildup play. Fernandes, in particular, was instrumental in linking play between defense and attack, consistently feeding the forward line of Rashford, Højlund, and Garnacho.
Brentford, on the other hand, adopted a more direct approach. Their pass map shows a focus on exploiting the wings through Mikkel Damsgaard and Bryan Mbeumo, with Keane Lewis-Potter pushing high up the field to support. However, they struggled to break down United’s defense once they fell behind.
United’s persistence and ability to create higher-quality chances ultimately led to their deserved victory. Brentford will be left ruing their inability to take control after scoring first, as they allowed United to dictate much of the game thereafter.