Manchester United are back in Premier League action and they will be hoping for a start of series of good results. Their recent performances have been far from ideal, as the Red Devils just barely won one of their opening three matches in 2022. The 2-2 draw at Villa Park last weekend was especially hard, after Ralf Rangnick’s team was in a commanding 2-0 lead until the final 15 minutes of the game.
That is why, against Brentford only three points will be expected from the visiting team. Here is everything you need to know ahead of Man United’s away trip at Brentford.
Team News
Looking at the teams we could see on Wednesday night, it will be a tough one for the hosts. Brentford will be without David Raya, Charlie Goode and Julian Jeanvier, all due to injuries. But they are not the only players missing out. Franck Onyeka is at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Mathias Jorgensen is still a question mark, as his participation is in doubt. Brentford’s team will be expected to rely on Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo in attack, while Sergi Canos and Mathias Jensen will be playing just behind.
As far as Man United are concerned, there is only one player still not featuring due to injury – Paul Pogba. His thigh problem is still not resolved, while Eric Bailly is still at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast. Cristiano Ronaldo missed both matches against Aston Villa with hip injury, but he should return in starting lineup. Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s involvement is still under consideration, so we might see Diogo Dalot start at right-back.
Form Guide
Brentford were supposed to face Man United in December on the back of their 2-1 win against Watford, which came after the 2-2 draw at Leeds United. But since that Watford win, they have lost five and won two games during a not so easy spell of matches. They lost to Chelsea, Brighton and Manchester City, before getting back into some better mood. A 2-1 win over Aston Villa was followed by a 4-1 beating of Port Vale in the FA Cup, but then two losses in succession came again. The Bees lost 4-1 at Southampton and 3-0 away at Liverpool, leaving them in a well respectable 14th place with 23 points.
Manhcester United, on the other hand, are still struggling. They are unable to win in consecutive matches for over a month now, with just one point won in the league this year. Their 1-0 win against Villa in the FA Cup was quickly negated by a disappointing 2-2 draw after having a two-goal lead with 20 minutes to go. Ralf Rangnick’s side will be in real need of snatching all three points at Brentford, before West Ham come to Old Trafford this weekend.
Predicted Outcome
Considering everything, we predict Manchester United will win 2-1 against Brentford. The reasoning is that Man United will be expected to play better than in recent matches, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s return also a big boost. Also, there is the fact that Brentford will have many problems with the starting lineup, due to injuries, giving United enough space to earn all three points.
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