{"id":632865,"date":"2026-04-27T23:01:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T23:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/632865\/"},"modified":"2026-04-27T23:01:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T23:01:08","slug":"manchester-united-see-off-brentford-to-close-in-on-champions-league-return-premier-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/632865\/","title":{"rendered":"Manchester United see off Brentford to close in on Champions League return | Premier League"},"content":{"rendered":"

This swashbuckling victory moved Manchester United<\/a> to within two points of Champions League qualification and is prima facie evidence of the job Michael Carrick has executed since his appointment as interim manager.<\/p>\n

The performance is also a fair \u00adcalling card for the permanent role as United bettered a doughty Brentford<\/a> by simply being better.<\/p>\n

Kobbie Mainoo was smooth in midfield, Casemiro scored again and Bruno Fernandes\u2019s assist for \u00adBenjamin Sesko\u2019s clincher was his 19th in the Premier League<\/a> this season. Even if he does not equal or best the record of 20, Fernandes must be the favourite for player of the year.<\/p>\n

Next is Liverpool here on Sunday, a trip the champions will hardly fancy because Carrick\u2019s unit is clicking precisely when it needs to \u2013 further testament to the 44-year-old\u2019s abilities.<\/p>\n

If the last four games go to plan United will finish third, their \u00adhighest finish for three seasons, a position that should attract the calibre of \u00adplayers to further improve the squad.<\/p>\n

Brentford arrived as the draw specialists, doing so in five of the six-game unbeaten run they kicked off seeking to extend. Yet in United \u2013 and Mainoo particularly \u2013 they encountered hosts who began in aggressive mode.<\/p>\n

Collecting inside Brentford\u2019s half the midfielder scattered defenders and served the ball up to Amad Diallo, who was a few yards from goal. The Ivorian surely could not miss, but he did, the shot \u00adhitting Sepp van den Berg and rebounding for the first of two corners.<\/p>\n

Here was an urgency not always present in United under Carrick. It continued as Harry Maguire\u2019s header was cleared off the line and Bryan Mbeumo burst along the right and won another corner. From this, Casemiro scored.<\/p>\n

In what seemed a training ground move, Fernandes\u2019s delivery from the right was swung deep to \u00adMaguire. As he leaped, Casemiro darted to the back post. The defender headed across and up went the Brazilian to outjump Dango Ouattara and nod\u00a0home.<\/p>\n

It was Casemiro\u2019s ninth league strike of his swansong campaign. Yet after a pronounced kiss of the badge United had to defend against a defiant away side who now dominated.<\/p>\n

Keane Lewis-Potter found space and swept the ball over from the left: Luke Shaw missed the interception and Igor Thiago might have \u00adequalised, but failed to connect. Then Michael Kayode\u2019s swivel and shot drew a corner.<\/p>\n

United were unable to transfer play to the other end as Brentford showed why they were so\u00a0long without defeat, an equal partner in a bright, open\u00a0spectacle.<\/p>\n

Benjamin Sesko celebrates after doubling United\u2019s lead just before half-time. Photograph: Dave Thompson\/AP<\/p>\n

Nathan Collins surged down the middle, but Brentford\u2019s captain was dispossessed by Fernandes, who took over and launched a similar run and had Sesko, Diallo and Mbeumo line up to receive.<\/p>\n

The Portuguese missed with his pass, as did Thiago when clean through. The man with 21 league goals dawdled, Ayden Heaven and Senne Lammens moved to \u00adintervene and the ball was clutched by the goalkeeper.<\/p>\n

Brentford pressed on. Thiago was again put in and a Heaven stab would have been an own goal, but for Lammens\u2019s reflexes. Heaven once more was saved when an inadvertent elbow went for a corner only.<\/p>\n

Mikkel Damsgaard\u2019s effort was blocked after a melee before a \u00adriveting half had its second goal. It was \u00adUnited\u2019s. After having a goal ruled out for offside, Diallo made a crucial \u00adchallenge near his area. The ball rolled to Fernandes, who charged forward, with Mbeumo to his right and Sesko the left. He chose the striker, whose feint took the ball on to his right boot and smashed in.<\/p>\n

United began the second half in rosy mood and did not miss the injured Matheus Cunha, who nursed a sore hip flexor. In a \u00adtactical \u00adreshuffle Diallo was replaced by Noussair \u00adMazraoui, who slotted in as one of three centre-backs in a five-man\u00a0rearguard.<\/p>\n

United pinged the ball back with a nonchalance and precision that oozed confidence. A slick sequence ended with a Shaw volley from range that he sent wide, but Fernandes applauded the ambition. From a Mbeumo corner Maguire\u2019s header went close.<\/p>\n

Where United were lethal, \u00adBrentford had been profligate. Thiago could rue enough openings for three or four goals, but his luck and range were out. So, too, his teammates; Lewis-Potter beating his man along the left, but could cross only weakly into Lammens\u2019s gloves.<\/p>\n

Brentford still knocked on United\u2019s door \u2013 Maguire\u2019s determination to keep them out caused an injury when Thiago barged him over, the veteran one of many in red performing near or at their best.<\/p>\n

His bravery drew a Ouattara kick to the head when the forward flew at a rebound after his header came off the bar. Brentford fought on and Mathias Jensen\u2019s 20-yard \u00adfinish was a consolation at least.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This swashbuckling victory moved Manchester United to within two points of Champions League qualification and is prima facie…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":632866,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":[49,48,561,82],"class_list":["post-632865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soccer","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-soccer","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=632865"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632865\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/632866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=632865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=632865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=632865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}