Beesotted contributor Jacob ‘The Gowler’ Gowler (@BeesBreakdown) gives us the tactical and statistical lowdown of Brentford’s win against Manchester United.
Thomas Frank’s unchanged starting XI faced a young and inexperienced Manchester United squad. Ruben Amorim didn’t want to risk key players to injury with a Europa League Semi-Final clash on Thursday looming.
United deployed a 3-4-2-1 with the likes of Garnacho and Mount joining Obi-Martin up top. The midfield consisted of Amass, Mainoo, Ugarte, and Dorgu. Manchester United’s back three saw Luke Shaw, de Ligt, and Fredricson get the start.
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Brentford scored 4 goals on 2.80 xG and created more than half of that on set plays. The Bees routinely threatened from corner kicks and especially long throw opportunities.
Manchester United found it difficult to progress the ball, often opting to launch it long, and failed to create much until late in the match. Brentford’s substitutions aided in Manchester United’s goals, but these substitutions provided useful minutes and learning opportunities.
One standout was Michael Kayode with an excellent performance leading the squad with 4 shot creating actions, 7 ball recoveries, and 5 successful take-ons. The really good news for Brentford fans is that even with that performance there is still room to improve. With more time in Thomas Frank’s system I think he’ll get more comfortable in buildup, especially as he gets to know the players around him, which should limit his miscontrols and the number of times he was dispossessed.
