Two stoppage-time goals from Scott McTominay saw Manchester United come from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Brentford at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday.
Thanks to Mathias Jensen’s goal in the first half, United was on the verge of losing their third straight home league game for the first time since 1977.
McTominay was only added with three minutes left because manager Erik ten Hag was desperate to find a way to save the game, and the Scot did just that.
It took him a while to get his shot off, but he did it when Kristoffer Ajer missed a clearance inside his own box.
After Thomas Strakosha saved a low shot from Anthony Martial, McTominay was the first to react to a Harry Maguire flick-on and score the game-winning goal.
The home fans celebrated for a long time after the game was over as their team did a lap of honour. It was probably a bit much, but it was totally understandable given the situation.
Nobody at United should doubt how much McTominay’s two goals will boost morale during the international break.
The midfielder could have left Old Trafford in the summer, just like Maguire. It’s funny that the two of them worked together to save Ten Hag’s situation, which was about to get very bad.
Keeping them from beating three teams at home in a week, including a team that most people would have thought they would easily beat in 1977, gives them a chance to breathe after a tough situation.
Ten Hag will know he has a lot of work to do to even get United back to the cohesive team he made them last season, though, once the euphoria wears off.
No one better shows how bad things are at United than Marcus Rashford.
After the World Cup was when he really went on a tear that led to 30 goals last season. Up to this point, he had only scored five. He is now stuck on the goal he scored against Arsenal on September 3.
Lack of good body language from Rashford. He tried to catch a high punt out of the Brentford area at one point, but the ball bounced off his foot and out for a throw, which he took himself and then walked towards the area.
When Rashford did run back to play a pass to Onana as Brentford countered from a United corner, he was slow to move forward again, even though the home team quickly turned the ball into an attack.
As the first half came to a close, he forced Brentford’s Premier League debutant custodian Thomas Strakosha to make a low save. Ten minutes into the second half, he also sent a speculative effort well wide.
It wasn’t at all like Rashford when he’s at his most dangerous, using his speed to make even the best defences nervous. That’s why it wasn’t a surprise when Ten Hag took him off after just half an hour as he tried to win the game.
It turned out that United had to wait an extra 24 minutes for the major change that made the difference.
Even though Brentford fans were happy that Jensen gave them the lead, they would have been careful.
Before the game, they had lost more points after being ahead than any other top-flight team.
Still, until the crazy ending, it looked like they were more likely to add to their lead than give up an equaliser.
Andre Onana, the United custodian, blocked shots from Neal Maupay and Christian Norgaard. Onana wasn’t exactly making a name for himself with the Brentford goal.
Casemiro gave Brentford the ball deep in his own half when he wasn’t under any pressure. This was the first of a series of defensive mistakes.
The Brazilian then missed a tackle that would have saved the game, and Victor Lindelof’s attempt to clear the ball went straight to a visiting player inside the United box. Jensen used the low finish, and Onana couldn’t stop it.
For a long time, it looked like it would be enough for Brentford to win at Old Trafford for the first time since 1937. But McTominay had a different plan.
Photo by EPA/PETER POWELL
