Manchester United are scheduled to visit Gtech Community Stadium tomorrow afternoon as Ruben Amorim & Co. look to gain some momentum from that win over Chelsea. And they face a Brentford side who are still finding their feet under Keith Andrews; he is still settling into his new job at the helm for the Bees after taking over the reins from Thomas Frank around the summer window.
The Portuguese head coach saw some pressure release from his shoulders last weekend, but it would bump up again if he fails to deliver tomorrow. But while he aims to take those three points back to Manchester, there are a few duels on the pitch that the former Sporting Lisbon manager needs to ensure go the United way.
Brentford vs Man United: Three Key Battles
Yehor Yarmolyuk vs Manuel Ugarte
Manuel Ugarte is expected to take Casemiro’s place in the starting eleven, and he will rub shoulders with Manchester United target Yehor Yarmolyuk. Yarmolyuk is an energetic presence in the middle of the park. He is someone who has a knack for eating up ground really fast, and that’s why you’d find him aggressive in pressing as well as astute at the back, trying to get the better of opponents’ sequences.
While he doesn’t seem to get much into the numbers offensively, he brings a sense of balance to the side. He is someone who regularly offers outlets after the Bees regain possession. And generally in games where he is facing transitional teams, you see a sense of fight and determination from him.
While Ugarte, when directly compared to Yarmolyuk, is more defensively orientated. He is generally tasked with making sure that there are no dangerous sequences coming down through the middle.
So ideally if Yarmolyuk were to can drag Ugarte out of position, it will open spaces behind him for the likes of Schade and Thiago. But if Ugarte ends up being a bit disciplined, then United will get more freedom to attack down the middle zones.
Bryan Mbeumo vs Ethan Pinnock
This will be one of the more personal battles out on the pitch, given how well both the players know each other.
While Mbeumo is quick and direct, he has this knack of drifting on the inside. That is where he likes to try and punish defenders by either bursts or turns. And then he would have this extra motivation, given he faces his former side. But then going shoulder to shoulder with Pinnock has its own difficulties.
If Andrews maintains that back three/five shape, then Mbeumo will likely be in the inside zones against Pinnock, who is quite strong and physical when going into duels. And he has this ability to get the better of big forwards by going in their faces (something Mbeumo would know already).
Ideally the former Brentford forward should try to use his pace to take Pinnock on. Maybe he makes those curling runs in behind to catch him off guard. But this is where Pinnock needs to remain patient and ensure that he doesn’t get dragged out without cause.
Kevin Schade vs Matthijs de Ligt
The German youngster had an inspiring game last time against United, and he would again be hungry to showcase his attacking instincts come kick-off tomorrow. We know how Schade has this drive to make things happen. He likes to drive and consistently take risks to make things happen, and that is exactly what the Bees would need against a towering defence tomorrow.
With De Ligt, he tries to stay structured but has struggled to make decisions against Schade-type forwards, where he often ends up in two minds. And that is what makes this an exciting duel. When Schade attacks the line or drops slightly, the Ajax academy graduate has to make a decision on whether he is going to step up or hold position. And Schade will try to test this decision-making time and again.
Do you think United can come out on top of Brentford if they win the aforementioned three battles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.