Manchester United used their luck on Wednesday to claim a 3-1 victory and boost their challenge to finish in the top four in the Premier League before burying lucky Brentford with a second-half goal blitz.
United’s victory looked unlikely as Brentford dominated in the first half, but the visitors were clinical after the break with goals from Anthony Elanga, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford, securing a resounding victory.
Brentford should have been comfortably ahead by halftime, but turned down several opportunities with Mathias Jensen twice denied an outstretched leg from United keeper David de Gea.
Several other opportunities went begging and they were paid for by their carelessness when Elanga led United in the 55th minute and Greenwood tapped after a counter-attack, before Rashford to deflect Brentford in the 77th minute. rifled his side’s third.
Ivan Toni pulled a goal back from close with five minutes remaining, but it was little consolation for the hosts, who missed out on their third straight loss.
Cristiano Ronaldo returned to United’s starting line-up after recovering from injury, but was suppressed and reacted angrily after being substituted in the second half.
United finished seventh, but moved up to 35 points with sixth-placed Arsenal and only two behind fourth-placed West Ham United.
“The first half was not good in all aspects of the game,” said United manager Ralph Rangnick. “In the second half we were more important, attacking the pitch and making the right decisions in the counter attack and we scored, which is a big difference.”
Home manager Thomas Frank, whose team is 14th and 10 points above the bottom three, was astonished by the result.
“We destroyed them in the first half, they didn’t have a sniff, there were three big chances and there could only be one winner of this game,” he said.
“They are incredibly lucky. Our intensity killed them.”
There was buzz of anticipation around Brentford’s impressive community stadium with the West London club hosting United for the first time in 1947 – the crowd warming up on a chilly night with the singing of their “Hey Jude” anthem.
Frank’s side acquitted themselves well in their first Premier League campaign against the big boys, beating Arsenal on a memorable opening night, catching Liverpool and inadvertently losing to Chelsea.
He stunned United in the first half as well.
Jensen, one of five Danes in Brentford’s starting line-up, was twice a target at his mercy but the efforts of his weaker side were saved by De Gea.
Ronaldo was a virtual spectator and the closest United came before the break was a sweeping effort by Diogo Dalot that widened the post.
United started the second half more quickly and Ronaldo’s header from Fernandes’ cross saw the crossbar.
Brentford went straight back into counter-attack and Jensen was played by Tony but again failed to defeat De Gea.
United struck when Fred Loft’s ball was struck by Elanga, whose first touch carried the ball to their twenty keeper Jonas Losal, who was given his first Premier League debut.
Rangnik’s side doubled their lead when Ronaldo chested the ball to Fernandes, who selflessly squared off to give Greenwood the easiest of tap-ins.
Rashford’s fine finish sealed the point before Tony at least gave home fans something to cheer about.
Bergwijn’s stoppage-time double snatches away surprise Spurs win at Leicester
Steven Bergwijn scored twice in stoppage time as Tottenham Hotspur beat Leicester City to register a remarkable 3-2 win in the Premier League on Wednesday.
A 76th-minute goal from James Maddison turned the game around until a dramatic finale with a Dutch substitute securing Brendan Rodgers’s three points for Leicester at King Power Stadium.
Bergwijn scored an equalizer in the fifth minute of stoppage time, when Hosberg threw the ball to Matt Doherty in the box and the Dutchman bounced the loose ball to fire home.
He then surprisingly caught the winner when Yuri Tielemens swung the ball away and Harry Kane played a brilliant through ball to the Dutchman, who scored Kasper Schmeichel and brilliantly slipped the ball inside the away post. .
The dramatic win moved Spurs to fifth place on 36 points ahead of their north London rivals Arsenal – one point behind fourth-placed West Ham United.
“We showed great desire not to lose this game. It’s a compliment to my players and team, not me,” said Spurs manager Antonio Conte, who has yet to lose nine games earlier in the Premier League in early November.
His counterpart Brendan Rodgers criticized Tieleman for being “stupid” for his mistake, leading to a last-gasp winner and dismayed by the way he lost.
“It was a good opportunity tonight, but you have to watch it. I don’t think Tottenham won the match, we gave them three points. It’s very disappointing,” he said.
While Bergwijn was the hero, Kane, who scored Spurs’ first goal, looked close to his best as both a finisher and a producer. England threat from the beginning
Kane went close twice in the opening round, including a header against Barr in the 19th minute, as Spurs aggressively sought an opener.
But it was Leicester’s Zambian forward Patson Daka, who stood in for the injured Jamie Vardy, who, in the 24th minute, slipped to the left foot at the back post after Sergio Reguilan failed to score. , put them forward. ,
Leicester defender Mark Albrighton then sprinted back brilliantly and pulled Pierre-एmile Hojberg off the line as Spurs continued to attack.
The visitors got their final reward when they drew level in the 38th minute with a clinical finish from Kane, who beat the offside trap, dropped Caglar inside Soyunku and drilled a low shot into the far post.
Kane missed a brilliant opportunity, firing over the bar after a goal by Lucas Moura.
It was a tough affair after the break but Leicester came to the fore in the 76th minute when substitute Harvey Barnes found Madison, whose low shot hit Japhet Tanganga’s outstretched leg and flew through the post.
It seemed enough until substitute Bergwijn leveled before wild celebrations with the winner in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
“What a rollercoaster of emotions,” Kane said.
“Overall we deserved to win. We were the better side. Disappointed to go down 2-1 but we were creating chances. We never gave up and Steve came forward and made a difference. To get two goals like this – these are games you will never forget in your career.”
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