-
Brentford approaching full strength up front
-
Fernandes a danger for United
-
-
Brentford v Manchester United
Saturday, 20:00
Sky Sports Main Event
With the international break taken care of, it's time for the big questions to be answered in the Premier League.
One of those concerns Manchester United, and their ability to qualify for the Champions League. Erik ten Hag's side sit sixth and Opta gives them a 4% chance of finishing in the top four, while they're 14% to claim a fifth place finish which could yet be enough for a seat at Europe's top table.
At the other end of the table, Brentford remain in danger of relegation despite rivals Nottingham Forest being handed a points deduction. Thomas Frank's men are most likely to finish between 14th and 16th according to Opta's projections, but there's still a greater than 2% chance of them ending up in the bottom three.
Brentford aiming to go back-to-back
The corresponding fixture last season was a day to remember for the Bees and one to forget for their opponents. Frank's team won 4-0 in Ten Hag's first Premier League away game, with all four goals coming before half-time.
That result, however, was an outlier. United have won seven of the last nine meetings between the side, and are 6/52.20 to take all three points on Saturday night.
Brentford, who are 2/13.00 to win, have taken just seven points from their last 15 matches. Both teams have found the net in all but three of those matches, though, and you can get odds of 40/851.47 on both sides finding the net this time.
United's London woes
Despite their opponents' struggles, the visitors might feel they need to buck a recent trend in London. United have lost three of their four away games in the capital this term, and seven of their last eight, with the only win coming at Fulham in November.
That victory came courtesy of a late Bruno Fernandes goal, with neither side able to find the net until second-half stoppage-time. It was one of 12 league wins for United this season by a single goal, a league high, and they're 10/34.33 to win by exactly one goal against Brentford.
Fernandes, who also converted a penalty in United's last league game against Everton, leads the Premier League for chance creation this season with 82. He is 6/52.20 to score or assist, having also netted in a victory over the Bees under Ralf Rangnick in May 2022.
He won't be the only danger man the Bees are alert to, though. Scott McTominay came off the bench to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory in this season's Old Trafford meeting, and the Scotland international is 7/24.50 to score at any time this weekend.
Brentford v Manchester United prediction
Only the bottom two sides, Sheffield United and Burnley, have lost more games than Brentford in the Premier League this season. Even the return of last season's top scorer Ivan Toney hasn't done much to stop the rot, though fellow forward Bryan Mbeumo returned against Burnley before the international break and the presence of the first-choice attack could provide more positivity.
In both of their Premier League campaigns before this one, Brentford have come back from the March internationals ready to attack. They claimed a 4-1 win at Chelsea on the corresponding weekend in the 2021-22 season, and last year were only denied victory at Brighton when Alexis Mac Allister made it 3-3 with a last-gasp penalty.
Looking at history, both recent and longer-term, it wouldn't be a surprise to see goals on the menu. United's seven league trips to Brentford have seen an average of 4.3 goals scored, with their two Premier League trips to the Gtech Community Stadium producing a 3-1 away win and that aforementioned 4-0 home victory.
We have our eye on the Bet Builder market for this one, anticipating goals. More than 3.5 goals with both Toney and Fernandes to score or assist can be backed at 9/25.50.
Football... Only Bettor Podcast - Listen here!