Man Utd v Brentford analysis: Stats, score prediction and suggested bets
The Premier League is back in action with an exciting showdown as Manchester United face Brentford at Old Trafford on Saturday.
After what felt like an eternity, the international break is finally and thankfully over.
Manchester United continue to flirt with a full-blown crisis, both on and off the pitch, as a terrible start to the campaign sees manager Erik ten Hag under serious pressure.
Brentford, on the other hand, are looking impressive under new manager Thomas Frank and even garnered praise from Pep Guardiola after pushing the champions close.
Here, Sports News Blitz’s Noah Ngcobo looks at the key aspects of Saturday’s game and gives a score prediction.
Red Devils in poor form
Manchester United are stumbling into this match on the back of their worst start in Premier League history, amassing just eight points from their first seven games, leaving them languishing in 14th place in the table.
In their latest outing, they scraped a goalless draw at Villa Park against an Aston Villa side that came in hot, sitting fifth in the league and fresh off a historic UEFA Champions League victory over Bayern Munich.
While salvaging a point could be seen as a silver lining, to be frank, United were fortunate to escape with anything as Unai Emery's men had an off day.
Erik ten Hag's job hangs by a thread, with mounting pressure demanding victories to turn this dismal start around.
One more loss could spell disaster for the Dutchman, whose tactics have come under intense scrutiny.
Surprisingly, Jonny Evans took home the Man of the Match award for his performance, raising eyebrows across the fanbase.
How concerning is it that a 36-year-old veteran is carrying the team?
In his post-match interview, Evans noted that this was only his second Man of the Match accolade in an 18-year career, further underscoring the alarming state of the Red Devils.
READ MORE: Fulham vs Aston Villa analysis: Five key battles and score prediction
High-flying Bees
In stark contrast, Brentford are riding high after a thrilling 5-3 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at home.
Just seconds away from making Premier League history with four consecutive first-minute goals, Brentford's attacking prowess has been nothing short of explosive.
Nathan Collins scored at the two-minute mark, marking the latest opening goal in their last four fixtures - a staggering stat that should have Manchester United on high alert this weekend.
Both Brentford and United are eager to secure points, with the Bees sitting in 11th place.
While they excel at striking early, they’ve struggled to maintain leads, resulting in a mixed bag of results.
Head to head
Historically, United have dominated at Old Trafford, winning their last three encounters there against Brentford.
Notably, the Bees' away form has been shaky, with four losses in their last five league matches on the road.
In their brief history - only seven meetings against each other in the Premier League - United have won four times, while Brentford have secured just one victory, with two matches ending in draws.
On average, these clashes yield three goals per match, and four of the last six meetings have seen over 2.5 goals scored.
Notably, Brentford's last six outings have also featured at least three goals.
Yet, Manchester United's scoring has been alarmingly low this season, with only four clubs across Europe's top five leagues netting fewer goals.
Given these dynamics, betting on both teams to score and on over 2.5 goals seems like a smart move.
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Key stats
Manchester United are without a win in their last five matches across all competitions.
Brentford have lost their last three Premier League fixtures.
Brentford have conceded at least one goal in every Premier League game this season.
Suggested bets
Over 2.5 goals scored
Both teams to score
Score prediction: Manchester United 2 Brentford 2
