Manchester United vs Brentford: The Red Devils were clinical with their scoring chances, as they cruised to a 3-0 victory over the Bees at Old Trafford on Monday.
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Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane got the goals in Manchester United’s final home game this season, sparking one last round of protests at Old Trafford, with fans unhappy at the Glazer family’s running, and continued ownership, of the club.
The result doesn’t change much in the Premier League table, with Manchester United (58 points) all but locked into 6th place and the Europa League next season. Brentford (40 points), meanwhile, remain 14th, eight points and four teams clear of the relegation zone, marking a successful first season in the Premier League.
Manchester United vs Brentford final score, stats, results
Final score: Manchester United 3, Brentford 0
Goal scorers: Manchester United (Fernandes 9', Ronaldo 61' - PK), Brentford (None)
Shots: Manchester United 9, Brentford 12
Shots on target: Manchester United 5, Brentford 4
Possession: Manchester United 65%, Brentford 35%
2 things we learned - Manchester United vs Brentford
1. Man United ready to begin new era (again): The final 20 minutes of Monday’s game saw Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata subbed off as they bid Old Trafford farewell before moving on in the summer; Edinson Cavani, who is also expected to leave Manchester United this summer, was also subbed on and recognized. Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard will also see their contracts expire this summer. In total, nearly $1 million per week will come off the wage bill (not including any players moved on for a fee), opening the door for new star recruits to arrive and return the Red Devils to true relevance. With new manager Erik ten Hag taking over in a few short weeks, things are going to look a lot different next season (at least, that’s the plan), and it can’t come soon enough for Man United fans.
2. New manager won’t fix Man United’s problems, though: As feel-good as the farewells were on Monday, it was also a reminder of the incredible amount of money that has been squandered on big-money signings over the last decade, including the $110 million paid for Pogba in 2016. To be clear, the growing list of managers has underperformed across the board in the nine years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, but to what degree the on-field results were their fault, or that of the executives responsible for assembling such a mismatched squad, in a necessary conversation to take the club forward. There will likely be a youth movement in the summer, and its success (or failure) will set the stage for the long-term future of the club.
Manchester United vs Brentford highlights
Bruno Fernandes hammers home Anthony Elanga’s cross for 1-0 (goal video)
Cristiano Ronaldo converts penalty for make it 2-0 (goal video)
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