Premier League
Man United ride luck to seal important win at Brentford
Manchester United rode their luck before burying luckless Brentford with a second-half goal blitz to claim a 3-1 away victory on Wednesday and boost their challenge for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
A United win did not look likely as Brentford dominated the first half but the visitors were clinical after the break with goals by Anthony Elanga, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford securing a flattering victory.
Brentford should have been comfortably ahead by halftime but spurned numerous chances with Mathias Jensen twice denied by the outstretched leg of United keeper David De Gea.
Several other opportunities went begging and they were made to pay for their profligacy when Elanga nodded United in front in the 55th minute and Greenwood tapped in after a counter-attack before substitute Rashford rifled in his side’s third in the 77th minute to deflate Brentford.
Ivan Toney pulled a goal back from close range with five minutes remaining but it was scant consolation for the hosts who slumped to a third successive defeat.
Cristiano Ronaldo returned to United’s starting line-up after recovering from injury but was subdued and reacted angrily after being substituted in the second half.
United remained in seventh spot but moved level on 35 points with sixth-placed Arsenal and are only two behind West Ham United who occupy fourth.
“First half was not good in all aspects of the game,” United manager Ralf Rangnick said. “In the second half we were more urgent, attacking higher up the pitch and taking the right decisions in the counter attack and we scored, which is the big difference.”
Home manager Thomas Frank, whose side are 14th and 10 points above the bottom three, was baffled at the outcome.
“We destroyed them in the first half, they didn’t have a sniff, three huge chances and there could only have been one winner of this game,” he said.
“They are unbelievably lucky. Our intensity killed them.”
CHILLY NIGHT
There was a buzz of anticipation around Brentford’s impressive Community Stadium with the west London club hosting United for the first time 1947 — the crowd warming up a chilly night with a rendition of their “Hey Jude” anthem.
Frank’s side have acquitted themselves well against the big boys in their first Premier League campaign, beating Arsenal on a memorable opening night, holding Liverpool and unluckily losing to Chelsea.
They battered a sloppy United in the first half too.
Jensen, one of five Danes in the Brentford starting line-up, twice had the goal at his mercy but his weak side-footed efforts were saved by De Gea.
Ronaldo was a virtual spectator and the closest United came before the break was a swerving effort by Diogo Dalot that flew wide of the post.
United started the second half with more urgency and a Ronaldo header from Fernandes’s cross glanced the crossbar.
Brentford went straight back on the counter-attack and Jensen was played in by Toney but again failed to beat De Gea.
United struck when Fred’s lofted ball found Elanga whose first touch flicked the ball up for him to head past Bees keeper Jonas Lossl who was handed a first Premier League start.
Rangnick’s side doubled their lead when Ronaldo chested the ball off to Fernandes who unselfishly squared to give Greenwood the easiest of tap-ins.
Rashford’s superb finish sealed the points before Toney at least gave the home fans something to cheer.
-Reuters
Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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