Man Utd defeat Brentford to edge closer to Champions League qualification

0:15Thank you.

0:30Winning ways at the Theatre of Dreams. 13 games in charge for Michael Carrick in the Premier League. That's his ninth win. And that's as good as secured Champions League football for Manchester United. Once again next season. An 11-point gap between themselves in third and sixth place. With just 12 left to play for. It was a wonderful first half that went from one end to the other. Casemiro's early goal but then Brentford came right back at Manchester United before Bruno Fernandes added to his assist tally and Szesko finished it off in fine style a half-time tactical change looked to have shut the door but Brentford kept on going and a late goal from Matthias Jensen made it nervous but Gary, they did enough just Yeah, they did it was pulsating the first half pragmatic the second but Michael Carrick's job is to get the points that take Manchester United into the Champions League and I think he's just gone and done that tonight.

1:31It was more of a save second half, but he did what he had to do and he'll be delighted with the victory and just deserved it in the end. Well, he talked about the character required to get that win in West London against Chelsea last time out. In the end, they needed to dig deep to get this one across the line. But get it across the line, they did. Manchester United have beaten Brentford at Old Trafford once again. this time by two goals to one. Yeah, that was the challenge. Could Michael Carrick deliver Champions League football for Manchester United, who remember finished 15th last season, but they are on track to come in third this time around.

2:10That is a mighty leap, and that might just be another big step towards the Champions League next season. They're going to miss him, aren't they? Casemiro, Gary Neville's player of the match. most tackles in the game 11 in all joint most of any player in any game this season in fact and another important header for him as well from a set piece what a threat he has been for Manchester United at the attacking end of the pitch and that victory sees them on to 61 points 3 clear of Liverpool and Aston Villa and crucially 11 clear of Brighton in six. So officially two more points needed for Manchester United to have a return to the Champions League confirmed, but they might not need another point in reality.

3:01Remember Liverpool next at Old Trafford on Sunday. Brentford miss out on the chance to put a pressure on United and others in those Champions League places. They could have gone sick, remember. They might feel defeat is hard on them tonight. they certainly gave it their all and certainly played their part. Big chances that came the way of Thiago, particularly in that first half. They say ninth, but they are right in this race, along with Brighton, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Fulham, Kiernan, Dewsby Halls, Everton. Kiernan, our special guest here this evening, maybe even Sunderland, if they could finish the season well, and indeed Crystal Palace.

3:38So much still to be played for.

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4:37This is the Sky Sports Premier League Podcast. let's get more analysis of the game and return to the student. Yes, some worrying moments late on that Brentford provided for Manchester United to deal with but it was that kind of evening overall. Certainly not a straightforward victory but an important one nonetheless. Let's take you through this then. 11 shots to Brentford's 12. The expected goals doesn't really tell much of the story. Brentford actually having more of it. But you think about those three moments that Igor Thiago had in the first half, none of those would have registered in terms of expected goals.

5:16He didn't actually have a shot, despite being very close to Senna Lomans' goal on three occasions. They did, though. Brentford had twice as many touches in the opposition box. And Manchester United, another indicator here, had made almost twice as many defensive actions than Brentford in the game. Casemiro, top of that. And actually those touches in the opposition box are most of any visiting team since Newcastle at Old Trafford this season. But this is really all they worried about tonight. Getting that important victory, the ninth in 13 games under Michael Carrick. And really it is so close now in terms of confirmation of Manchester United being back in the Champions League next season.

6:01An important role tonight as well, played by Harry Maguire, back in the United side after suspension, making his 600th club appearance and an assist for the first goal as well. Harry, very good evening to you. Thanks for joining us. An important victory. Was it hard work, though, tonight? Yeah, it was tough. I think we started the game really well. And then, yeah, after 25 minutes, I think they got to grips with the game and we found it struggling that first half and we changed shape a little bit in the second half. I felt like it was a lot more solid. We covered the pitch a lot more, a lot less crosses were coming into the box.

6:41Disappointing to obviously concede the goal from the edge of the box. We've got to get out a little bit quicker than that to block the shot and block the ball. But it felt comfortable apart from the set play chance that obviously they hit the bar with. But yeah, I felt like the shape helped us in the second half, not to concede as many chances, but overall I felt like we should have done a little bit more with the ball. Is it a bit strange for you all really, sort of having played three in the back for so long and then obviously moving to four at the back and then the second half, I guess you're back to three.

7:13Is that actually more comfortable for some of you? No, definitely not. I think the formation change has helped us a lot, to be honest. I think the result spoke for itself when we were back three and Michael come in and changed to a back four and the results have picked up a lot now. So I think we're comfortable that we can play both formations. But yeah, I think we didn't cover the pitch well enough in the last 20 minutes of the first half and we were letting too many balls into the box and then they were putting a lot of numbers in the box as well. What we didn't deal with well enough. So they had a lot of chances in that last 20 minutes of the first half.

7:50I think it was good that the manager recognised that and we changed the second half and I felt like it was a lot more comfortable. Harry we know how effective you can be in the opposition box as well I mean we honestly thought I thought you'd scored with that first header but somehow Cuiver Kelleher manages to claw it away I don't know if you can see this

8:11I mean he sort of seems to snatch it almost from behind the line but the GDS it's so close Yeah in the time I thought it might have Oh yeah well I thought it might have gone over the line I got up well I actually I didn't catch it as clean as I'd like I could have got more pace and it was a great ball in and the pace was on the ball and it was coming towards me and I got up well but I could have caught it a little bit cleaner and got more power on the header I felt but yeah it was a good save in the end but hopefully it didn't make a difference to the result and then you there you are at the back post and we know that as you say came close to scoring but then you actually do manage to create here for Casemiro yeah definitely it was something that Bruno spoke about going an out swinger but I think Casemiro I thought I was good at heading and tacking ball in the box until I met Casemiro he's amazing isn't he his timing his leap his aggression his technique it's the best it's the best I've seen and worked with yeah he's he's really clinical and he's been a massive boost for us this season because without his goals we wouldn't be nowhere near where we are on the table Harry on this show we like to look at the tactical side of it and there's a lot being made of playing three at the back with the previous manager.

9:27You just mentioned Michael now playing a back four. But what other insight can you give us to this sort of change in fortune and feeling around Manchester United since Michael Carrick came in? Yeah, I think obviously the results help the feeling massively. We had two tough fixtures when Michael first come in and I think everyone was probably looking at them thinking, with Arsenal and Man City and we managed to get the six points and from then on everyone's believed in it and we've gathered together, we've got the confidence, we know that we can score goals from anywhere. I think we can still get a lot better at this formation as well.

10:04I think we can work as a back four, slide across the pitch a lot quicker like we should have done in the first half today. I think we will get better the longer that we work as a unit in there. But yeah, I think the results speak for themselves. since the manager's come in and the formation's changed. We just seem to pick up results. I think the games previous, when Ruben was here, the games were a lot 50-50, but we always ended up on the back of a defeat. Now it seems like it's the other way around, where we're a lot better in both boxes. We defend our box a lot better, and we're managing to be clinical in the other box.

10:43Hi, Harry. How are you doing, bro? How are you, mate? Yeah, I'm good, thanks. I was thinking you have to carry a good job. Still a long time until that comes. Just a quick one from me. Obviously, back in the team tonight, winning again. Just about the set pieces. Normally, most of the season, we've seen Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro have that link between each other. But tonight, it seemed he was aiming more towards you on the first contact. I wondered whether you'd worked on that in training in the week or was that more between you two and the night you felt you was getting more space? I just wondered if that was something that you decided beforehand or during the game.

11:24Well, yeah, I think what really helps you when you're attacking a set play is that you've got two big threats. I've played in a lot of teams where I get one, two players marking me and all the focus is on myself. I think now other teams are respecting that Casemiro is a massive threat as well. So they have to take a lot of eyes on him. they have to put a good defender on him rather than putting two on myself at the moment so I think it frees us both up I think our record when we both play together when I play I think Casemiro gets more goals and when he plays for sure I get more opportunities as well so I think it's good that we have two big targets two good threats in the attacking box and I think it makes it a lot harder for the opposition Harry I just wanted to mention if you ever want to come and try and take my job you're more than welcome in the studio next season if you want to come along to a Monday Night Football.

12:14Love to have you in. I'll pop in. Don't worry about that next time. And he also says, Harry, that because Manchester United are pretty much guaranteed Champions League football now, if you could just go a little bit easy next Sunday, that'd be great. Yeah, no more winning goals. Yeah, it's a big one next week. We know that's more than Champions League football, so we'll be ready for that one. We're looking forward to it and we look forward to seeing you there. Harry, thank you for being a good sport and talking to us live tonight. Thank you. Bye-bye. Thank you. So you didn't actually play in the same team as him at Leicester, but you were around the place when he was playing.

12:45Yeah, that was probably when I first started to break into training with the first team. He was playing week in, week out. He's such a good lad. He was so nice and welcoming the minute I came through the door. Then obviously he got a big move to Man United. I think he's a top player and he has been for the last seven, eight years. Such a good, humble lad as well. It's nice to see him back in the team, contributing to games. and I think he's very effective for Manchester United. He is a top player and you see what he's done at England at tournament level. He's coming at Manchester United, he's got the captain's armband and then he has a difficult spell, as we do as footballers.

13:23But when you're saying he's a top player, I don't know him that well, you probably know him better than me. Well, for me, looking from afar, a top character. And what I mean by that is it would have been very easy for him to leave Manchester United on two or three occasions at different times. There's a little bit of heat on him At one stage, I think the supporters were getting on his back. I go back to an incident in a pre-season game where Anana, the goalkeeper, came in. He's only been there two minutes. He was having a go at him and screaming and shouting at him. And the character that's had shown, and he signed a new contract, hasn't he, for next season, to be at one of the biggest clubs in the world, where when it's not going well, the flag's flying.

13:55I know that from Liverpool. Manchester United is exactly the same. And as I said, it hasn't been easy because they're not being the most successful of Manchester United teams we've seen. But for him to come through that and as you say he comes back into the team it almost feels like they need Harry Maguire now when you look at a Manchester United team if you're a Manchester United fan you think we need Harry Maguire playing he just mentioned how strong they are in both boxes that's a big part of him and I'm listen don't know him too but got so much admiration and I love that in players it's easy to play well when things are going well have a look at people when things aren't going well how do you come through it and you fight through it and that's part of being a professional player and for me I think what he's done at Manchester United is superb character wise All that said Kiernan Brentford made it pretty hard for Harry and also Aidan Heaven in that first half in the back four which he talked about he had that preference for it but Brentford kept on finding spaces didn't they?

14:48Creating moments For sure and to be honest they're probably going to walk off their pitch today thinking how have we only scored one goal? Especially after the first half performance Thiago he's had three golden chances and this is the amazing thing three amazing chances without actually shooting Without actually shooting, yeah, on another day. That was Coyote. He scores probably two or three and Coyote's got a great chance there. But that's just football. They've gone through the game today having four or five clear-cut chances and not won the game and they might have one chance in another game and win it.

15:19So today wasn't their night in terms of in front of goal. It wasn't as clinical as Man United and that obviously cost them the game. I mean, look at that, Jamie. I mean, from a centre-back perspective, the space that he's got through the middle of the pitch. Yeah, I mean, in some ways, Manchester United win 2-1 but it's almost one of the most uncomfortable two ones you'll probably ever see from a team really I mean listen he's had a brilliant season hasn't he I mean to be honest in some ways that last ditch tackle was absolutely out of this yeah credit Aidan Heaven for that one yeah but I mean but it wasn't you know it wasn't it certainly wasn't the first shot he had that the goalkeeper came to the rescue Heaven again testing his own goalkeeper again but listen Brentford were fantastic they played really really well very unlucky not to get something from the game but as Harry Maguire said a lot of the time under Ruben Armonen they were coming the wrong side of these games now, as I said, a lot better in the boxes a lot of that is down to that goalkeeper who's been fantastic since he come in and also at the other end a lot more clinical certainly on set pieces But it finished 2-1 to Manchester United we can hear from Keith Andrews with P Mullenstein Keith, overall what did you make of the performance today?

16:31Pleased with the performance as you can probably imagine. I thought they started the game better than we did. Took the lead. We weren't finding our passes. We were a little bit on the back foot in the first 10 minutes or so. But after that, I thought we reacted brilliantly to the game, the state of the game and the bravery in which we played with, the courage in which we played with. I thought we were outstanding for large parts of the game and unfortunately we couldn't take our opportunities that we created. Does it feel like another one of those games where you're looking back at performance levels were good, you just didn't get anything from the game that you perhaps thought that you deserved?

17:06I thought we were really good. I enjoyed watching us play in every aspect of the game, really, after that first 10 minutes. The bravery we show, the courage that we show, the individual ability, the spirit of the group to come to somewhere like this and play in that manner I think shows a good step in the right direction. I think the next step for us is being ruthless, being clinical. taking those opportunities, nullifying the threats that they have, whether it's the set-piece goal, which was poor from our part and isn't like us. But yeah, it's just the next step now for us in terms of basically getting someone from a game like that.

17:46A lot of the things that have been said about Brentford this season is the resilience and of course the determination right at the end as well, getting that goal. You could see all the players were right in it all the way until the end. Is that something though that you will use now into these final few games? Yeah, I think you're right. I think that's in us. I think anybody that watches us play pretty consistently would see that. That we're a team that has a lot of spirit. We have a nice click around the group in terms of that spirit. The group as a whole enjoy being together. We fight hard. We know you've got to earn results in this division because it's very, very difficult to get them.

18:19But ultimately, we've been on a really good journey this year. That has enabled us to come to a ground like this and play in that manner. Still very much in the fight for European qualification. how are you looking now ahead to the next couple of games six games without a win now but the confidence still there? I've seen a lot of confidence tonight a lot I've seen personality glower a team that is striving is doing everything he can to get results so I don't see that as an issue Thank you very much for your time The reality is it could have been very different tonight and I'm sure Michael Carrick would acknowledge that as well we'll get his thoughts That's the other side of this break here on Monday Night Football after a 2-1 victory tonight over the Bees.

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19:45Good victory for Manchester United tonight. They've beaten Brentford 2-1. He's won more games and has taken more points than any other manager since taking over at Old Trafford. And he's talking now to Pien Mullins team. Michael congratulations another big step towards Champions League qualification what's your overall opinion of the game today? It was quite an open game at times actually and I thought we started fantastically well as good as we started for a good spell 20-25 minutes and should have been at least another goal up maybe more but credit to them they were a good team we knew they were a good team they got a really good mix of threats in different ways and they came into the game a little bit and were in a good place at half-time, but we just thought we were getting a little bit too open really at certain times, so we just tweaked things in the second half.

20:34For the most part, I had a bit of decent control with the second half and then towards the end, two opportunities and had to defend the box. But I thought the spirit, the effort and the togetherness of the players was fantastic. We could have scored more, but listen, it's the time of year. it's a results business and we needed to take the points and we've had a fantastic two games on the back of the Leeds defeat. It was, as you mentioned, a really open game, especially in that first half. There were chances at both ends. Was that why it was really crucial for you to make that change at half-time?

21:07I think it's the first time that we've seen that under you in a back three. Yeah, we were going to make it anyway and then we ended up scoring the second goal, so it put us in an even better position. But there were just certain spaces that we thought we needed to cover a little bit better and I think for the most part, second half it had a good effect really it was a purely tactical one so sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't but today I thought really it was about the result and the position we were in at half time we wanted to see the game through Just a word on the goals as well the second goal another assist for Bruno Fernandes it feels like he is going to do it this season he's going to top that Premier League charts all-time assist maker isn't he?

21:48We hope so of course in terms of scoring and goals I think we've pretty much scored every game and Bruno is a big part of that but the forward line are collective as well and the connections and relationships but again Bruno had an important moment I think there was other ones where he could have maybe had one more maybe scored himself so I thought we looked dangerous enough throughout the game. How pleased are you with the way the team managed to see the game out especially after Brentford scoring that that late goal and seeing having a little bit of energy right at the end? Yeah, listen, I think the way the boys managed it, I think sticking together, it's a tough finish.

22:23It's a tough league. It's a tough league to get results in and I think that's proven over recent weeks and months. But to get the amount of wins we have, we're delighted with that. Today was all about the three points for us and we definitely got that so we're happy tonight. What is this win going to do though now for the next couple of games, the remaining fixtures that you've got left? Oh, well, it's another win. We've obviously got an important game coming up at the weekend, so we can look forward to that. It's a big game for different reasons, but we've put ourselves in a good position with a good win tonight.

22:56Congratulations. Thanks for your time, Michael. Cheers. Thanks a lot. Yeah, another good win for Michael Carrick. Does it feel like they're pretty much there now in terms of Champions League? I think so, yeah, and I think he's pretty spot on with what he says at the end there. At this point in the season, results are probably the most important thing. There probably would have been times tonight way, he would have liked the team to be a bit more compact and not concede as many chances. But they've walked away with three points tonight and it puts them in a really good position now to go and get Champions League football.

23:25And it puts Michael Carrick in a really good position as well. That was the remit he was given. Could he return Manchester United to the Champions League after a two-year absence? And this is the job that he's done. He said most Premier League wins and points since he took over, nine wins from 13 games is it becoming a case of the job is pretty much his would you be surprised if it wasn't at this point Jamie? No he's going to be the Manchester United manager certainly next season no doubt about that and you can't say he doesn't deserve it they are absolutely sensational results I mean they're results of a title winner someone going for the league now I know that pressure isn't on Manchester United right now you know they haven't got European fixtures all these other things will come into it but I don't think anybody could have come in and done any better results wise.

24:11Now the performances of late have not been great, that was another one tonight but it's not a great Man United team I'm looking at Liverpool and Manchester United in third and fourth position, I don't think either of them are great right now and I don't think it tells you almost a great Premier League, so he's still getting the results, even though the performances of late, even the Chelsea game, you go away to Chelsea, that's a big result winning there tonight was a big result Was it interesting that what Harry Maguire said that under Ruben Amrim they were losing a lot of those close games and now under Michael Carrick they are winning those clubs.

24:41Yeah, and maybe that comes from the feel-good factor. You mentioned winning the first couple of games gives everyone a little bit of a good feeling. Going back to a back four maybe makes people a little bit more comfortable. But I think the interesting thing, and I liked it, you mentioned about going to the back three tonight and that was something that was criticised heavily. But the biggest criticism we had of Ruben Amaran, he never adapted. He showed, he's adapted there. Now, it would have been really interesting if they hadn't got the goal just before half-time. if he'd have still made the change at 1-0.

25:09Because it's a lot more difficult to say, OK, we're sitting with what we've got at 1-0. 2-0 makes it a little bit easier. But listen, again, that's not a poor decision for the manager or he's bowing down to sort of Brentford. He's seen how that game was going and he needs to just kill the game and make sure there was very few chances in the second half. And that's what they've done. And they've got another result. Keenan, thank you very much. We're out of time. It's been an absolute pleasure to listen to your stories. Thank you very much. You've been a star guest, as Harry Maguire said, one for the future.

25:39A lot of people after Jamie's job, that's for sure. Kieran can't keep away from us because he's back next Monday, but this time doing what's a little more familiar to him, playing for Everton against Manchester City. Look forward to watching you live then. Thanks again, Kieran. You've been an absolute superstar for us tonight on Monday Night Football. Tonight, it was about Manchester United, who look like they are just on the verge of a return to the Champions League after beating Brentford. Night from us.