Manchester United 1, Brentford 0
Marcus Rashford’s first half strike beat Brentford and sent Manchester United back into the top four at Old Trafford.
But the Reds lost Luke Shaw, who recently signed a new contract, to an injury on a slippery Old Trafford surface in the first half – and they can ill-afford to lose vital members of their squad as they reach a vital part of the season.
PLAYER RATINGS – Manchester United 1, Brentford 0
David De Gea: 6. Not much to do until midway through the first half but could have blotted his copybook when hitting a clearance against Ivan Toney which could have gone anywhere. Took a painful blow in the followup to a Kevin Schade shot.
Diogo Dalot: 6. Some attacking moments. Didn’t have much defending to do.
Raphael Varane: 7. Handled the aerial threat of Brentford calmly.
Lisandro Martinez: 6. Solid performance against a physical side.
Luke Shaw: 6. Had to come off after 37 minutes, an early slip possibly doing him no good – went straight down the tunnel.
Scott McTominay: 6. A rising strike will have given David Raya cause for concern. Did his defensive duties diligently.
Marcel Sabitzer: 7. Busy in forward areas and his header provided the opening goal to Marcus Rashford. Had a second half chance saved too.
Antony: 7. Some some flashes of his talent. Curled a couple of efforts wide of the back post and also helped set up the opening goal with a good ball into the box and kept probing the Brentford defence.
Bruno Fernandes: 6. Looked jaded. Booked in the second half but kept going.
Jadon Sancho: 7. Gave Brentford cause for concern.
Marcus Rashford: 8. Scored the opening goal after some fruitless running, had a great effort saved by Dave Raya just before half time and a good effort blocked in the second half.
Tyrell Malacia (on for Luke Shaw, 37): 6. Filled in well at left back
Fred (on for Marcel Sabitzer, 71): 6. Blazed over a great chance.
Anthony Martial (on for Jadon Sancho, 71): 6. On the road to recovery.
Victor Lindelof (on for Antony, 86): No time to mark.
GOALS – Manchester United 1, Brentford 0
Man Utd 1, Brentford 0: 27. Antony recycled the loose ball from a poorly cleared corner back into the area, Marcel Sabitzer rose to meet it and his header down was finished off by Marcus Rashford from 6 yards out.
MATCH STATS – Manchester United 1, Brentford 0
Man Utd: De Gea, Dalot, Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Shaw (Malacia 37), McTominay, Sabitzer (Fred 71), Antony (Lindelof 86), Fernandes, Sancho (Martial 71), Rashford
Man Utd Subs not used: Butland, Maguire, Weghorst, Pellistri, Wan-Bissaka
Bookings: Shaw 24 (foul on Ivan Toney), McTominay 42 (bad foul on Matthias Jensen); Fernandes 59 (foul on Mikel Damsgaard)
Goal: Rashford 27
Brentford: Raya, Jansson, Pinnock, Mee, Roerslev (Hickey 75), Damsgaard (Dasilva 62), Norgaard (Wissa 75), Jensen (Baptiste 62), Henry, Mbeumo (Schade), Toney
Brentford Subs not used: Strakosha, Zanka, Ghoddos, Baptiste, Stevens
Bookings: Damsgaard 50 (foul on Scott McTominay), Norgaard 61 (foul on Bruno Fernandes)
Referee: John Brooks