Eleventh-placed Manchester United eyeing back-to-back PL victories.
Brentford vs. Manchester United kicks off at 12:30 [GMT+1] on Saturday, September 27, at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brentford’s season-long struggle hit a new low with last weekend’s 3-1 London derby loss to Fulham. That defeat left the Bees in 17th place, having remained without a win in three Premier League games [LWLDL]. They make preparations to face the Red Devils, hoping to put an end to the unwanted early-season three-game winless drought. Luckily this fixture has provided promising results at home against the Red Devils in recent years. Brentford have won two of their last three Premier League games at the Gtech against United, drawing the other. That tally matches the number of victories they achieved in their first six home league encounters with United, showing their growing competitiveness in this fixture. The recent trend also favours the home side. Since United’s 3-1 win away at Brentford in January 2022, the home team has won six of the last seven Premier League meetings between the clubs, with the other ending in a draw. This pattern underlines the significance of home advantage in this rivalry, something the Bees will hope to exploit once again in front of their supporters. A 3—5—2 formation with Igor Thiago and Kevin Schade in attack is expected from the Bees.
Manchester United, however, will be wary of an unwelcome milestone. After their 4-3 defeat to Brentford in May, they could suffer back-to-back league defeats against the Bees for only the third time in history. The previous occasions came way back in December 1934 in the second tier and in February 1937 in the top flight. United’s struggles highlight the shifting dynamics of this matchup. In addition, United’s wider record in London has taken a downturn too. Between February 2020 and January 2022, the Red Devils went 13 Premier League matches unbeaten in the capital, winning eight and drawing five. Since then, they have lost 15 of their 24 league trips to London, winning just three. That sharp decline adds further pressure on Ruben Amorim’s side, whose slow start, despite a 2-1 win over Chelsea last weekend, has been on countless lips. Form on the road has been a major concern for United. They are winless in their last seven Premier League away games, drawing two and losing five, since a 3-0 victory at Leicester in March. The last time they endured a longer streak without an away win came between March and October 2019, when they went eight matches without success. Benjamin Sesko is yet to score a maiden goal for the Red Devils but is expected to lead the attack when Amorim deploys the 3—4—2—1 formation. Casemiro is suspended following his red card against Chelsea.