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Brentford v Manchester United LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Ajer’s equaliser

Kristoffer Ajer’s 99th-minute equaliser salvaged a point for Brentford in a 1-1 Premier League draw with Manchester United on Saturday, denting the Old Trafford club’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Substitute Mason Mount thought he had given United an undeserved and dramatic victory when he slotted home in the 96th minute after Brentford had dominated the game.

But Ajer smashed home Ivan Toney’s cutback from close range three minutes later to give the Bees a point which sees them remain in 15th, five points above the relegation zone.

United remain in sixth, 11 points off fourth-placed Aston Villa and eight off Tottenham Hotspur in fifth, a spot which could be enough for Champions League football next season.

Brentford vs Manchester United

  • REPORT: Brentford strike late to deny Manchester United a win they never deserved

  • Kick-off at the Gtech Community Stadium scheduled for 8pm GMT

  • Brentford vs Manchester United predictions, betting tips and odds

  • Is Brentford vs Manchester United on TV? How to watch Premier League fixture

  • Brentford XI: Flekken; Ajer, Morgensen, Collins; Roerslev, Lewis-Potter, Janelt, Yarmoliuk, Jensen; Wissa, Toney.

  • Manchester United XI: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Lindelof, Dalot; Mainoo, McTominay, Fernandes; Rashford, Hojlund, Garnacho.

  • HITS THE POST! Toney narrowly misses out on a goal after excellent pass from Wissa

  • HITS THE BAR! Collins’ header hits the top of the crossbar

  • GOAL! Mason mount scores with just a few minutes left! Brentford 0-1 Man United, Mount 90’ + 6

  • GOAL! Ajer equalises almost straight away! Brentford 1-1 Man United, Ajer 90’ + 9

Brentford FC 1 - 1 Manchester United FC

Brentford strike late to deny Manchester United a win they never deserved

22:37 , Chris Wilson

An extraordinary game got a dramatic finish when substitute Mason Mount seemed to have stolen an unworthy win for Manchester United, before Kristoffer Ajer smashed a 98th-minute equaliser to ensure Brentford took away a point.

Hundreds of furious Brentford fans were streaming up the stairs and out into the night when Ivan Toney wriggled away from the sluggish substitutes Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro before jabbing the ball across the six-yard box for Ajer to fire home. It was their 31st shot, and finally Andre Onana was beaten. A 1-1 draw was the least they deserved.

That warm fuzzy feeling that United felt at the end of their incredible FA Cup win over Liverpool two weeks ago dissipated in half an hour of domination. By half-time Brentford had taken 15 shots, hit the post and the crossbar and United’s positivity was forgotten. By the end of 90 minutes, Brentford had taken 30 shots and it was astonishing that they hadn’t scored. They almost lost one of the most one-sided games you might ever see.

Brentford strike late to deny Manchester United a win they never deserved

FULL-TIME: Brentford 1-1 Man United

22:55 , Chris Wilson

The home side will play Brighton and Aston Villa in the next week before facing relegation rivals Sheffield United, Luton and Everton. They currently sit in 15th on 27 points, five ahead of the relegation zone.

United play Chelsea in midweek before welcoming Liverpool to Old Trafford on Sunday. They then travel to Bournemouth before their FA Cup semi-final against Coventry on 21 April. They sit in sixth, eight points behind Spurs and 11 behind Villa.

Premier League action continues tomorrow, and attention turns to the title race.

Liverpool host Brighton in the 2pm kick-off, while Arsenal travel to Manchester City for the second game of Super Sunday.

Erik ten Hags speaks to Sky

22:41 , Chris Wilson

The United manager laments “giving it away” as he speaks to Sky.

“We have to get it over the line.

“We made certain mistakes. We should act differently in a different occasion. The equaliser was absolutely unnecessary.

“In the final third, we were not secure. We were slow. Second balls, defending, we were not good. They were more aggressive. They had more energy and it should be the other way around.

“We have many senior players, we should all stand up and take responsibility for this.

“From January on, we are very consistent with our performances.

“We will keep fighting, it could be a good point in the end.”

Frank speaks to Sky

22:33 , Chris Wilson

Thomas Frank is the first of the managers to go in front of the cameras.

“There should have been only one winner in the game,” he says.

“You go 1-0 down in the 96th minute and you think football is brutal. I almost lost faith in the football god but he gave a bit back.

“What a performance. We had our entire back four out.

“We had the most shots ever in the Premier League. How we didn’t win is incredible.

“I am very, very happy with the performance. It was more or less the perfect performance.”

Mount speaks to Sky

22:25 , Chris Wilson

United’s goalscorer is now speaking to the Sky, and he says that “if you look at the game overall it wasn’t to our standard”.

“When you score at the death you think you can maybe hang on. But maybe we didn’t deserve it.

“We know we can improve and we need to because we need to win games. We will improve, we will work hard.”

On Champions League qualification, he says that it’s a “tough one” after the result, “but all we can do is focus on ourselves. We know what we need to do.”

Toney speaks to Sky

22:22 , Chris Wilson

Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who scored his first England goal in midweek, is the first to speak to Sky.

He says that the team “feel like it’s points dropped”.

“When you see the stats, we don’t know how we’ve not scored more than one goal.

“The chance I’ve missed, we’ve hit the woodwork four times, all the opportunities but it means nothing when you draw the game.”

FULL-TIME: Brentford 1-1 Man United

22:17 , Chris Wilson

Brentford had 31 shots in that game, and 14 corners, which tells you all you need to know really. That was deeply embarassing for United, in a different way to some of their other draws and losses this season.

Take nothing away from Brentford though. They played very well in stages, thought the fact they only had five shots on target perhaps suggest that the final bit of quality is lacking.

The home side must feel both relieved at getting the draw and perplexed that they didn’t get the three points.

FULL-TIME: Brentford 1-1 Man United

22:13 , Chris Wilson

An entertaining game for the neutral, a worrying one for United fans and a hopeful one for Brentford fans.

The home side played excellently in parts, with Toney, Wassa and Mbeumo all very impressive. Play like that in their next few games and they’ll be safe from relegation sooner rather than later.

For United, it’s a story similar to that of much of the rest of the reason. A disappointing performance – disjointed, insipid and wasteful. Ratcliffe and Brailsford will be looking at games like this knowing that a lot needs to change.

FULL-TIME: Brentford 1-1 Man United

22:08 , Chris Wilson

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FULL-TIME: Brentford 1-1 Man United

22:03 , Chris Wilson

And the referee blows the final whistle! A whirlwind ending to a game that Brentford completely dominated.

Thomas Frank will be rueing missed opportunities and wondering how they haven’t won that. Erik ten Hag will be wondering how it’s possible to be so easily dominated by a team that is near the relegation places and has lost six in a row.

Brentford 1-1 Man United

22:01 , Chris Wilson

103 mins: Surely only a minute or so from the end here. Both teams look knackered now.

Brentford attack once more and Maupay drills a low cross across goal, but it’s cleared.

Brentford 1-1 Man United

22:00 , Chris Wilson

102 mins: Maupay and McTominay are booked for a scuffle in the box. We’ve gone past the allocated added time.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:59 , Chris Wilson

100 mins: United get a corner and Maguire is close to it, but it’s headed behind for another corner. Nothing comes from the second corner.

GOAL! Brentford 1-1 Man United

21:57 , Chris Wilson

98 mins: GOAL! Almost straight away, the home side equalise!

Toney collects a clipped ball over the top, gets past the defender and cuts a pass back inside. Ajer arrives and slams home!

GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Man United

21:55 , Chris Wilson

96 mins: GOAL! And United score in a similar fashion to the game at Old Trafford!

Antony’s squared pass causes some confusion in the Brentford defence, and McTominay shields the ball so Casemiro can pick it up. He lays it off to Mason Mount, who scoops a tidy finish across Flekken.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:53 , Chris Wilson

94 mins: United go on the attack, but again they fail to create anything. Brentford stop a counter as Antony is tackled.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:50 , Chris Wilson

92 mins: Dalot is having his head bandaged, but he comes back on. Normal service resumes as Brentford go on the attack again, but United block the shot and clear.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:48 , Chris Wilson

89 mins: Dalot is still receiving treatment, and we’ll have nine minutes of added time (though that’ll probably be extended as the Portuguese is still down).

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:46 , Chris Wilson

88 mins: Maupay fouls Dalot, and there’s some brief respite for the away side.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:45 , Chris Wilson

86 mins: Toney hits the free-kick wide after a ly-off from Mbeumo.

Brentford make two more changes: Maupay and Ghoddos come on for Roerslev and Lewis-Potter.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:43 , Chris Wilson

84 mins: Martinez plays a silly square pass that’s intercepted by Toney. He’s running in on goal, but maguire does well to catch up. Brentford re-work the ball and win a free-kick on the edge of the area.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:41 , Chris Wilson

82 mins: Mbeumo’s corner is met by Toney at the near post, but his volley loops over. Even by recent United standards, they are playing awfully.

Jorgensen goes into the book for a late challenge.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:40 , Chris Wilson

81 mins: Lewis-Potter swings in another cross and it bounces awkwardly in front of Onana, but United clear.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:38 , Chris Wilson

80 mins: Fernandes tries another effort from outside the box, but he doesn’t quite catch it and it rolls to Flekken.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:37 , Chris Wilson

79 mins: Even the most diehard United fan would struggle to argue that they deserve anything from this game, even a single point.

Erik ten Hag tries to change things by taking off Rashford and Mainoo for Mount and Casemiro.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:36 , Chris Wilson

78 mins: HITS THE BAR! The free-kick is route one – a long ball through the middle – and United let it bounce. It runs to Mbeumo, who lashes a half-volley against the bar.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:35 , Chris Wilson

77 mins: Onana collects a shot that is straight at him and launches another long ball that Brentford intercept once more. Brentford have a free-kick on halfway.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:33 , Chris Wilson

75 mins: United still struggling to create anything of note as we enter the final 15 minutes. Brentford are still working it well in attack, with Mbeumo taking over Wissa’s role combining with Toney, but Damsgaard’s pass is too long.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:31 , Chris Wilson

72 mins: Disallowed goal! Toney has the ball in the net, but the flag is up! Mbeumo has all the time in the world to play an early low cross to Toney, who bundles it past Onana, but the Englishman had strayed marginally offside. It was close, but VAR confirms it was offside.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:30 , Chris Wilson

71 mins: It’s United turn to threaten briefly, as Antony picks it up on the wing, cuts in onto his left and hits his trademark curling effort, but it goes wide.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:29 , Chris Wilson

70 mins: Janelt plays in the most dangerous corner yet. It’s headed back across goal and Lewis0Potter hooks it over with an acrobatic overhead effort.

Wissa and Yarmoliuk come off for Mbeumo and Mikkel Damsgaard.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:27 , Chris Wilson

68 mins: Martinez does indeed replace Lindelof. The Swede is holding his hamstring as he walks off.

United clear Brentford’s corner...at the expense of another corner.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:25 , Chris Wilson

67 mins: Fernandes is dispossessed near his own box and Brentford come again, winning yet anther corner. Lindelof is down now, and it looks like he’ll be replaced by Lisandro Martinez.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:24 , Chris Wilson

66 mins: United are struggling once more, with Rashford in particular looking isolated now. McTominay sends a shot wide from range.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:23 , Chris Wilson

63 mins: Brentford are still threatening, but this time they can’t create anything clear-cut. Hojlund loses it cheaply though, and Janelt collects the ball. He plays a chipped through ball which Toney hits first time, but it just loops over the bar. That would’ve been spectacular.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:19 , Chris Wilson

61 mins: Yet another Brentford chance as Toney and Wissa combine again. Jensen crosses to Lewis-Potter at the back post, but his header is wide.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:18 , Chris Wilson

60 mins: United are wasteful once more as Dalot’s ball goes out of play.

Meanwhile, Antony comes on for Garnacho. The Argentine looked tired today.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:17 , Chris Wilson

58 mins: Janelt plays in a lofted cross that loops out to Wissa, and his volley is taken brilliantly but it clips the post and goes wide.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:15 , Chris Wilson

57 mins: There’s a bit of pinball in the United box but the eventual Brentford cross flies wide. Antony is getting ready to come on.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:13 , Chris Wilson

55 mins: Onana makes an excellent save down low to his right, getting a strong hand on a scuffed effort from inside the box. Brentford had a penalty appeal just beforehand but VAR clears it.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:13 , Chris Wilson

54 mins: United have their first real chance of the game, as Fernandes - who was played in with a long ball over the top – squares to Hojlund, whose shot is saved well by the outstretched arm of Flekken.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:11 , Chris Wilson

52 mins: United are pressing more than at any point in the first half, but they haven’t created anything clear-cut. Brentford counter, and Wissa is carrying the ball, but his shot goes wide of the far post.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:09 , Chris Wilson

51 mins: Dalot swings in a curling effort disguised as a cross, but it’s narrowly wide.

21:08 , Chris Wilson

50 mins: Fernandes has UNited’s first shot of the second half, and it’s a long-range effort, but again it goes straight at Flekken.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:07 , Chris Wilson

49 mins: A mix up at the back from Maguire almost lets Brentford in, but the away side recover to clear.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:06 , Chris Wilson

46 mins: Brentford immediately win another corner, but it comes to nothing. Their second corner leads to a late challenge from Garnacho on Janelt on the edge of the box, and home fans want a penalty, but it looks outside the box anyway.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:03 , Chris Wilson

KICK-OFF! The teams come out again ahead of the second half. The home side get us underway in the second half.

Harry Maguire has come on for Raphael Varane.

HALF-TIME: Brentford 0-0 Man United

21:00 , Chris Wilson

A frustrating night for both managers so far, but for different reasons. Thomas Frank will be disappointed that Brentford never took advantage of their dominance, while Erik ten Hag will be irritated that his side have given so many chances away.

United have so far failed to capitalise on the buoyant mood after the win against Liverpool, while Brentford look nothing like a side that hasn’t won in over a month.

20:55 , Chris Wilson

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HALF-TIME: Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:48 , Chris Wilson

HALF-TIME! The referee blows the whistle and we’re level at the break. Brentford will be far happier with that half; they had superior chances, applied far more pressure and are unlucky not to go in ahead.

United’s performance was a little disjointed. It lacked any real verve or imagination in attack, but the defence have done well to deal with most of the corners and crosses.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:47 , Chris Wilson

45 mins: We’ll have just one minute of added time. United’s free-kick comes to nothing.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:46 , Chris Wilson

44 mins: Jensen finds Wissa but he runs into a wall of United players. The away side attack, but it’s too timid and disjointed. Luckily for them, they win a cheap free-kick near the edge of the area after Wissa arrives late and follows through on Fernandes. He becomes the first Brentford player in the book.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:45 , Chris Wilson

43 mins: Lewis-Potter is the latest player to have an effort at the United goal, but his header is tame and straight at Onana.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:44 , Chris Wilson

42 mins: Wissa drops deep and plays a through ball to Roerslev. His cross is dangerous, and Lindelof takes no chances as he clears it behind. Brentford are into double figures for corners already.

20:43 , Chris Wilson

40 mins: Now Varane is down as he’s caught by a late challenge when clearing, but he’ll be okay. From the corner, Dalot looks to clear but there are no runs ahead of him, so United are forced to build from the back. Rashford, who has cut a frustrated figure, unleashes a frustrated shot from distance but it is easily caught by Flekken.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:41 , Chris Wilson

39 mins: Wan-Bissaka is booked for a late challenge on Roerslev near the halfway.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:39 , Chris Wilson

36 mins: Wissa is the latest to win the ball back quickly, and he’s fouled by Lindelof. United can’t handle Brentfird’s intensity at the moment.

Jensen’s free-kick is cleared by Wan-Bissaka, but now it’s Yarmoliuk’s turn to win the ball back. Janelt plays in Roerslev on the overlap, and he finds Wissa, but his acrobatic effort is wild.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:37 , Chris Wilson

35 mins: Yarmoliuk catches a shot well from the edge of the box. It’s low and hard, but it fizzes wide.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:36 , Chris Wilson

34 mins: Another great chance for Brentford! They counter with a long ball and Toney drives at Lindelof, who’s back-pedalling, and he beats him easily. His shot is a little wayward though, and it flies over the bar.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:34 , Chris Wilson

32 mins: HITS THE BAR! The home side hit the woodwork again! It’s Collins this time; the cross comes in from the corner and he heads just a little too high, and the shot hits the top of the crossbar.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:33 , Chris Wilson

31 mins: Brentford charge up the pitch again, with Lewis-Potter carrying well. He plays in another dangerous cross, and Lindelof is there to divert it from the head of Ivan Toney.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:32 , Chris Wilson

30 mins: Nothing comes from the long throw-in and Onana finds Rashford down the left, but United are too slow and Brentford have numbers back. Mainoo plays a nice disguised pass to Hojlund, but his touch is poor. The Dane has cut an isolated figure so far.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:30 , Chris Wilson

29 mins: Thomas Frank will certainly be the happier of the two coaches as it stands.

Toney brings down a diagonal pass and chooses to shoot from outside the box, and it comes off a United man and goes for a throw.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:29 , Chris Wilson

27 mins: Brentford threaten again as Toney skips past the challenge from Mainoo and feeds in Yarmoliuk, but Dalot does well to slide in and intercept.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:28 , Chris Wilson

26 mins: Brentford are pressing more aggressively now, forcing Onana to go long on two consecutive occasions.

CLOSE! Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:26 , Chris Wilson

23 mins: Toney hits the post! The England man, who scored his first goal for his country on Tuesday, is fed through the middle after an excellent first-time through ball from Wissa. He’s one-v-one and he has the beating of Onana, but his low shot bounces off the inside of the post!

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:24 , Chris Wilson

22 mins: United do manage to venture forward, with Dalot clipping a cross towards Garnacho at the far post, but the Argentine heads behind.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:23 , Chris Wilson

21 mins: Toney opts for the shot but it goes out for a corner. United can’t get out of their half at the moment.

They might get a brief reprieve after Yarmoliuk’s cross is straight to Onana.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:21 , Chris Wilson

18 mins: Brentford have three corners in a row almost and all the balls in are dangerous, but United manage to clear. The home side are dominating the last few minutes, winning the ball back quickly.

They win a free-kick near the left-hand edge of the box, and Toney lines up to take.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:19 , Chris Wilson

16 mins: Another Brentford chance wasted as Lewis-Potter’s cross is wild and goes out for a throw. The Bees win it back in the box though, with Wissa determined to win it – he crosses it in and Lindelof gets a vital interception.

From the corner, it bounces to Lewis-Potter but it’s hooked behind for another corner.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:17 , Chris Wilson

15 mins: Brentford have had one or two potential counters ruined by poor passing, and Wissa is the latest culprit. They look happy to sit deep when United attack.

20:15 , Chris Wilson

13 mins: Garnacho has his first real dribble at the home defence, but he’s dispossessed easily. The game’s being played at a pretty pedestrian pace really.

United win their first corner as Fernandes squares it across the box to Dalot, whose shot is deflected wide.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:13 , Chris Wilson

12 mins: No real chances for either side so far. The home fans are urging their side forward, but Brentford are playing with a bit of caution in the opening stages.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:12 , Chris Wilson

10 mins: Rashford and Fernandes exchange passes and the former makes it into the box, but his pass is sloppy.

United lose the ball after a challenge from Janelt and Wissa surges towards the box. Brentford re-ork the ball and Jensen’s ball in is inviting, but it’s headed away.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:09 , Chris Wilson

8 mins: Wan-Bissaka has actually started at left-back for the away side – a position where Dalot usually deputises. United have the ball in defence again, but Brentford aren’t being fooled into pressing too much yet.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:08 , Chris Wilson

6 mins: Toney gets free of his marker from the corner, and has a free header, but he can’t get it on target.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:07 , Chris Wilson

5 mins: Brentford’s first show of danger as Lewis-Potter clips in a ball to the back post. Toney is waiting for it to drop but Wan-Bissaka heads it behind for a corner.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:05 , Chris Wilson

4 mins: That aerial battle might be key for Brentford, who often look to make use of Toney’s hold-up ability.

United are keeping the ball at the momen, with Brentford happy for them to have it in these areas.

Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:04 , Chris Wilson

Sloppy play in the opening stages, with neither side dominating. Ivan Toney wins his first aerial duel of the night.

United have the first shot of the game, with Fernandes shooting wide from outside the box after a pass back from Rashford.

KICK-OFF! Brentford 0-0 Man United

20:01 , Chris Wilson

‘Hey Jude’ blasts out of the stadium speakers as the teams get ready. The away side get us started in Saturday’s late kick-off.

Brentford line up with five at the back, and United are in their usual 4-2-3-1.

Brentford vs Manchester United LIVE

19:56 , Chris Wilson

The Gtech light show is underway and the teams are in the tunnel. Brentford are looking for breathing space in the relegation battle, United are hoping to keep alive their admittedly slim chances of qualifying for next season’s expanded Champions League tournament.

19:50 , Chris Wilson

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How the teams are faring

19:46 , Chris Wilson

The home side have been in poor form of late, with a 2-2 draw at home to Chelsea bookended by narrow losses to Manchester City, West Ham, Arsenal and Burnley. They’re currently languishing in 15th place, just four points above the relegation zone.

The away team come into the game in mixed form, with their last game providing a thrilling 4-3 win in the FA Cup that booked them a place in April’s semi-finals. In their last five games they’ve also beaten Everton and Nottingham Forest and lost to Fulham and Manchester City. They sit in sixth, nine points behind Spurs, who won 2-1 against Luton earlier today.

Brentford vs Manchester United LIVE

19:40 , Chris Wilson

These two sides have only met six times since 1947, with no meetings between 1975 and 2022. United have won four of the five meetings since Brentford were promoted, though Erik ten Hag’s tenure began with a famous 4-0 defeat at the Gtech.

Earlier this season, United won 2-1 after coming from behind, with McTominay grabbing a 97th minute winner.

Erik ten Hag reacts to Manchester United speculation over his future as manager

19:34 , Lawrence Ostlere

Erik ten Hag says he does not care about speculation regarding his future as Manchester United manager.

A promising first season saw Carabao Cup glory followed by finishing third in the Premier League and runners-up in the FA Cup, but things have gone off track this term.

United face a fight for Champions League qualification as the campaign enters the final straight, with the stunning 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final extra-time win against rivals Liverpool breathing new life into the team. A Wembley semi against Coventry is the reward but that result did not stop talk about Ten Hag’s future during the international break as ambitious Ineos consider their options.

England boss Gareth Southgate was linked to the United job but said such talk was “completely disrespectful”, although the Dutchman appears unmoved.

“You know when you are working at Man United there will always be noise, rumours around the club, the manager, the players, whatever,” Ten Hag said. “There will always (an) issue – you like it, to talk about. Of course we have different interests, but we are not focusing on that.

“We are focusing on the process, we are focusing on the team to play better, to improve the way of play, so I don’t care about (it).”

Erik ten Hag has shrugged off speculation over his future (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)
Erik ten Hag has shrugged off speculation over his future (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

Manchester United fans risk being stranded after kick-off time change

19:22 , Lawrence Ostlere

Manchester United fans spoke out in anger against the decision to move their Premier League match against Brentford tonight to the late kick-off time.

The match is due to kick-off at the Gtech Community Stadium at 8pm GMT.

The kick-off time is just two minutes before the last train is scheduled to depart London St Pancras for Manchester Piccadilly. London Euston is not in service this weekend because of engineering works between London and Milton Keynes.

The day after the game on Sunday there are also no direct services between London and Manchester, with almost all journeys scheduled to take well over three hours.

Drivers and rail passengers have already been warned of huge delays this bank holiday weekend, worsened by extreme weather triggering mass train cancellations.

Full story:

Why Manchester United fans have been left fuming by Brentford kick-off time

Team news

19:12 , Chris Wilson

For Brentford, there are two changes from the side that lost 2-1 to Burnley last time out. Keane Lewis-Potter and Yehor Yarmoliuk come in for Frank Onyeka and Sergio Reguilon.

The away side are unchanged from the team that beat Liverpool in the FA Cup, with Lisandro Martinez on the bench for the first time in almost two months.

Team news

19:06 , Chris Wilson

Here’s how the two teams line up.

BRENTFORD XI: Flekken; Ajer, Zanka, Collins; Roerslev, Lewis-Potter, Janelt, Yarmoliuk, Jensen; Wissa, Toney.

SUBS: Strakosha, Maupay, Ghoddos, Onyeka, Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Baptiste, Trevitt, Ji-soo.

MANCHESTER UNITED XI: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Lindelof, Dalot; Mainoo, McTominay, Fernandes; Rashford, Hojlund, Garnacho.

SUBS: Heaton, Kambwala, Maguire, Martinez, Amrabat, Casemiro, Eriksen, Mount, Antony.

Brentford v Manchester United

18:58 , Lawrence Ostlere

An hour until kick-off at the Gtech. Confirmed line-ups and team news is about to land...

Brentford vs Manchester United: Predicted line ups

18:45 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here is a look at how the two sides could line up tonight at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford XI: Flekken, Jorgensen, Ajer, Collings, Roerslev, Onyeka, Jensen, Janelt, Maupay, Toney, Wissa.

Manchester United XI: Onana, Dalot, Lindelof, Varane, Wan-Bissaka, McTominay, Mainoo, Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford, Hojlund.

Erik ten Hag expects Kobbie Mainoo to handle the hype after star England debut

18:32 , Lawrence Ostlere

Ten Hag added: “We are very happy for him and of course a little bit proud. I would say very proud. It’s great for the academy of Manchester United that they bring up a player so young going into the national team. That is a big compliment for the whole club.

“I think definitely in the first place for himself because he did it. But also for all the ones who worked with him during his time in the academy, so it’s very good news for Manchester United.”

Asked if he has to manage the hype around Mainoo, Ten Hag said: “Yes, but we have discussed this before and so far he handles it very well. If he crosses the line, yeah, of course I as a manager, we as coaches, will interfere.

“But so far it’s not necessary because he enjoys football, he wants to win, he wants to give his best every day because he want to improve. As I say, he just wants to have fun on the pitch. For him, it’s fun to play dominant, to dictate the game and to win the game.”

Erik ten Hag continues to be impressed by Kobbie Mainoo (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)
Erik ten Hag continues to be impressed by Kobbie Mainoo (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)

Erik ten Hag expects Kobbie Mainoo to handle the hype after star England debut

18:15 , Lawrence Ostlere

Erik ten Hag is confident Kobbie Mainoo can deal with the hype following his impressive full England debut.

Just four months on from making his first Premier League start, the 18-year-old put in a man-of-the-match performance in Tuesday’s 2-2 draw against Belgium at Wembley.

Mainoo had not even been included in the initial England squad but followed a promising debut off the bench against Brazil by potentially earning a spot at Euro 2024 with his display against Belgium.

That performance has taken the midfielder’s stock to new heights but Ten Hag is confident the success will not go to his head.

“I thought it was very good, but we are not surprised,” the United boss said. “We have seen what he is capable of, that he can very quickly adapt to high levels. It looks very natural.”

Kobbie Mainoo impressed on his first England caps (The FA via Getty Images)
Kobbie Mainoo impressed on his first England caps (The FA via Getty Images)

Brentford v Manchester United – team news

17:52 , Lawrence Ostlere

Amad Diallo will not be available for Manchester United after he reacted to a late winner against Liverpool by taking off his shirt, and was subsequently shown a second yellow card.

Tyrell Malacia, Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw are still injured. While Harry Maguire sustained a problem during England’s defeat to Brazil, and Lisandro Martinez is nearing a return following two months on the sidelines with knee problems.

Altay Bayindir, Casemiro and Jonny Evans all missed the most recent fixture through injury and it remains to be seen whether the trio will have recovered in time over the break.

Brentford will also be without Sergio Reguilon after he was shown a red card during their defeat to Burnley and has to sit out for one game. Rico Henry, Ben Mee, and Josh Dasilva have all been ruled out for the rest of the season with injury.

Amad Diallo scored United’s winner against Liverpool – and then saw red (Getty Images)
Amad Diallo scored United’s winner against Liverpool – and then saw red (Getty Images)

Is Brentford vs Manchester United on TV?

17:35 , Lawrence Ostlere

Manchester United travel to Brentford on Saturday for the resumption of the Premier League at the Easter weekend following the international break.

The Bees have lost seven of their past nine league meetings with Manchester United, but they did come out 4-0 winners in the same fixture last season. However, United will be looking to start on the front foot, after beating Liverpool in the FA Cup in their last game before the break.

United have their work cut out this season to try and secure a place in next season’s Champions League, they go into the weekend in sixth place, nine points behind Aston Villa, who currently occupy fourth spot.

But Erik ten Hag’s side have not been as prolific as they would have liked on the road, especially in London, and have won just one of their last eight league away matches against teams in the capital, also losing four of their last five.

Is Brentford vs Manchester United on TV? How to watch Premier League fixture

Brentford vs Manchester United predictions: Premier League betting tips and odds

13:23 , Lawrence Ostlere

Brentford and Manchester United are both battling for points for very different reasons in their Premier League clash on Saturday (8pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

The Premier League returns after a two-week hiatus following the international break, and both these teams will be hoping for a strong start to the stretch run of the season.

Brentford’s survival bid has been boosted by Nottingham Forest’s points deduction, putting five points between themselves and the Tricky Trees, who dropped into 18th place.

However, Thomas Frank’s men are winless in their last six games and may need at least one more victory to feel comfortable about their Premier League status for next season.

Brentford vs Manchester United predictions: Premier League betting tips, odds and free bets