Marcus Rashford’s close-range effort handed Brentford just their second Premier League defeat in 17 games as Manchester United narrowly came out on top at a sodden Old Trafford.
The home side dominated the first half and were rewarded just before the half-hour when Rashford slammed home Marcel Sabitzer’s knock-down from the edge of the six-yard box.
Erik ten Hag’s side had chances to put the game to bed, Antony in particular guilty of some wasteful finishing, and were nearly punished by a much-improved Brentford after the break.
Substitute Kevin Schade had the Bees’ best chance, but he couldn’t beat David De Gea from close range as United got some measure of revenge for August’s 4-0 defeat in west London.
United’s pressure pays off as Rashford fires home from close range
The home side quickly settled into their stride as the rain lashed down.
Brentford were pinned back on the edge of their box for much of the opening 45 minutes as United probed for a way through.
Sabitzer, Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes proved difficult to pick up as they rotated in midfield, Fernandes often dropping deep to act as a quarter-back, while Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot provided attacking width from full-back in support of Jadon Sancho and Antony.
Indeed, it was the full-backs who had the evening’s early efforts; Dalot had a shot blocked by Jensen at source while Shaw slipped at the crucial moment and skewed wide.
United’s Portuguese defender then looked certain to open the scoring from Fernandes’ teasing ball in, but Ben Mee made a goal-saving clearance in front of him on the edge of the six-yard box.
To complete his hat-trick of efforts inside 15 minutes, Dalot was thwarted by another Jensen block as he let fly from distance.
For all United’s dominance, Thomas Frank’s Bees were restricting them to mostly speculative efforts. Ivan Toney deflected a Sabitzer free-kick behind, McTominay cushioned a volley over the bar from the inside the D, and Antony curled an effort wide of David Raya’s far post from the right-angle of the area.
A fine piece of Ethan Pinnock defending took Shaw’s cross away from Sabitzer on the edge of the six-yard box before United’s pressure eventually told. The resulting corner was cleared but Antony clipped it back in, Sabitzer timed his run in behind perfectly and nodded it down into the path of Rashford to slam home from close range.
The home side sensed a chance to put the game to bed before the break and pushed on. Antony had a hat-trick of efforts, the first two off target and the third blocked by Jansson, while Pinnock deflected a Rashford shot behind, and Raya held well when the England striker looked for the far corner from a tight angle.
For Brentford, Christian Norgaard had the ball taken off his toe as he looked to volley Pinnock’s cross towards goal and Toney helped a Mathias Jensen cross over the bar from 12 yards.
Schade denied by De Gea as Brentford go on the offensive
Despite being second best for the opening 45 minutes, there was only one goal in it when John Brooks’ whistle went for half-time and Brentford offered far more after the break.
De Gea almost gifted the Bees a leveller four minutes into the half. He delayed over a clearance, which he then smashed straight into Toney, only for the ball to bounce just wide.
United still carried a threat of their own, Pinnock clearing from Sancho and Raya holding Sabitzer’s curling effort, but they were much happier after the break to hold onto what they had.
The home side’s midfield three dropped into more of a defensive shape with the full-backs also curbing their attacking intent.
Frank shuffled his pack on the hour, introducing Shandon Baptiste, Schade and Josh Dasilva, and it almost paid instant dividends.
Baptiste saw a shot from the edge of the box blocked behind by a flying McTominay before Schade passed up the big chance to level midway through the period.
Toney held the ball up and turned it around the corner for the German forward to run onto unchallenged. Schade bore down on goal, but De Gea made himself big and blocked the dinked shot.
Wissa and Aaron Hickey were also introduced, with the Bees switching to a 3-4-3 in the closing stages, which opened up space for United to counter.
Fernandes and Antony both shot off target from outside the area before Fred passed up a golden chance to put the game to bed with 10 minutes to play. Rashford did all the hard work, leading a charge from deep before teeing up the on-rushing midfielder perfectly. However, he leant back as he struck it and sent it well over Raya’s crossbar.
Brentford kept pressing and fashioned two final openings in the four minutes of time which were added on at the end of the half. Hickey sent the first one well wide from 25 yards while Toney chipped the second one, from a similar range, just over the bar following a slaloming run through the heart of the United defence by Baptiste.
Brentford: Raya; Roerslev (Hickey 75), Jansson, Pinnock, Mee, Henry; Norgaard (Wissa 75), Jensen (Baptiste 62), Damsgaard (Dasilva 62); Mbeumo (Schade 62), Toney
Subs not used: Strakosha, Zanka, Ghoddos, Stevens
Manchester United: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw (Malacia 37); McTominay, Sabitzer (Fred 71); Antony (Lindelof 86), Fernandes, Sancho (Martial 71); Rashford
Subs not used: Butland, Maguire, Weghorst, Pellestri, Wan-Bissaka
Frank: We did everything we could
Thomas Frank was pleased with his side's second-half performance and thought Brentford were unlucky to not score on Wednesday evening.
Roerslev: We lacked quality on the ball
Mads Roerslev, who returned to first-team action at Old Trafford after recovering from a hamstring issue, expressed his frustration at Brentford's narrow defeat.