Manchester United will hope to break a five-match winless streak on Saturday after taking on Brentford at Worn Trafford.
The hosts have just eight points from seven Premier League games and sit in 14th place, three places below Brentford. The Bees aren’t necessarily in supremacy mode on 10 points either, but they snapped a three-game winless streak with a 5-3 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of the world split.
Here’s what you need to know before you tune in.
The correct way to monitor and the probabilities.
- Moment: Saturday October 19 | Chance: 10 a.m. Eastern Time
- Location: Worn Trafford – Stretford, England
- Current residence: Peacock
- Odd: Manchester United -150; Draw +330; Brentford +360
Arguments
Manchester United may have theoretically entered the campaign from a blank slate, but the dull feeling that persisted throughout last season has largely returned for this one. They are winless in their last five matches in all competitions, failing to score a goal in three of those matches and conceding seven goals along the way. To add insult to injury, captain Bruno Fernandes earned the original difference of being sent off in consecutive matches, although they have been in several competitions and one of them was finally rescinded. The extreme few weeks, coupled with the start of the extreme season, have raised a round of unused questions about the path United are taking, questions that may be bigger than those about manager Erik ten Hag.
While it seems clear that the flow project is not working, United will continue on this path for at least another generation. Of course, there is a chance /ten Hag’s side could turn things around and perhaps have a good relationship with Brentford. United can also point to the fact that they will surely return to ruthlessness one day on the scoring front: they have scored just five goals this season in the league, but have 11.11 expected goals. The flip side of this is that the same could be true on the defensive end: although they have conceded 8 goals, their expected goals against is 11.54.
It shows that there is a lot of work to be done to improve the entire tactical operation, especially if United are attached to Ten Hag and the players who have signed for him at the moment. However, combined with the extreme mode of the season, it is also a sign that there are no quick recoveries for this group and that another mediocre season may be underway.
Lineups
Manchester United:
Brentford:
Prediction
Manchester United could also be the favorites, but their moderately porous defensive strategy could be imaginable on Saturday. Brentford’s 13 goals this season suggest they can cause problems at Worn Trafford, and the Crimson Devils’ inability to score may impede their ability to get out of danger. Choose: Manchester United 0, Brentford 2
