"Moments of individual brilliance might win it for them" - Chris Sutton makes score prediction for Manchester United v Brentford
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton has predicted a close win for Manchester United against Brentford when the two teams meet in the league on Saturday (7 October).
The Red Devils have started the season poorly, losing six out of their first 10 games across competitions. This includes their two UEFA Champions League group-stage losses, with the most recent one coming against Galatasaray on 3 October at home.
Manchester United are also struggling in the Premier League, where they sit in 10th with nine points from seven matches. Predicting a 2-1 win for Erik ten Hag's side against Brentford this weekend, Sutton wrote in his BBC column:
"You wonder when the pressure is really going to start to build on Erik ten Hag, and dropping more points here certainly wouldn't help his cause. The one crumb of comfort for Manchester United fans is the way Rasmus Hojlund is playing up front...
"Brentford have lacked a spark in recent weeks but will be well organised and tough to break down, then look to counter United as much as possible. I don't think United will keep a clean sheet, but some moments of individual brilliance might win it for them - Hojlund may just make the difference."
The Red Devils have lost just once in their last nine meetings against the Bees across competitions. It came in August last year when Brentford beat them 4-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Erik ten Hag pleased with Manchester United star's performance ahead of Brentford clash
Manchester United paid £72 million to sign Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta this summer. A back injury delayed his debut for the club and he hasn't scored in any of the five domestic games he has played in this season.
However, Hojlund has been notably impressive in both of his team's Champions League losses. He scored his first goal for the club in a 4-3 loss against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena and bagged a brace against Galatasaray.
The Denmark international's second goal against the Turkish giants showed his pace, power and finishing ability. He ran with the ball from the halfway line to dink it over Fernando Muslera and give his team a 2-1 lead.
After the loss against 'Gala', Erik ten Hag praised the 20-year-old and said, via the club's official website:
"He’s [Hojlund] very hungry for scoring goals, but also in other facets of the game, in stages, he’s doing really well. You see him improving from game to game, so I’m really pleased with his performance."
Hojlund, 20, is expected to lead Manchester United's line against Brentford, who have won just once in seven league games this campaign.