Bruno Fernandes penalty saved as dismal Man Utd beaten at Brentford - 5 talking points

Bruno Fernandes missed his second penalty of the Premier League season as Manchester United reverted to type in a disappointing defeat at Brentford. United came into the game on the back of the 2-1 win over Chelsea, yet familiar failing undermined their performance in west London.

Brentford found themselves 2-0 up inside 20 minutes as Igor Thiago took advantage of some shaky United defending to help himself. First he latched onto a long ball over the top of the defence from Jordan Henderson to blast into the top corner before gobbling up a rebound after Altay Bayindir pushed the ball out into his path.

United then finally woke up and Benjamin Sesko needed three bites of the cherry to slam in his first United goal from close range. Bayindir made a good low save to keep out Dango Ouattara before Nathan Collins' foul on Bryan Mbeumo offered a route back into the game for the away side.

But after a long delay Fernandes saw his effort saved by penalty expert Caoimhin Kelleher and substitute Mathias Jensen made the three points safe for Brentford on the break in injury time as chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" rang out from the stands. Here are the talking points after United made it eight league away games without a win.

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1. Bees out the blocks fast

United were seen drilling their preparations for defending set pieces before kick off, but they didn't seem ready for what Brentford threw at them once the match started. The same old shaky backline, that has come to define Amorim's side, was there and Brentford took full advantage.

If it wasn't for a few strong saves from Bayindir, they could easily have been 3-0 down following a nightmare start. Harry Maguire played Thiago onside for the first goal before Matthijs de Ligt found himself out of position for the second, which came from another simple long ball.

It was a shambolic start for the away side, who had a week to prepare for this game, having already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup, the third round of which took place in midweek.

2. Long throws here to stay

Earlier this week, Mirror Football spoke to professional throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark, who has worked with Brentford, about the prevalence of long throws in the Premier League this season. There has been an average of 3.4 per match, with West Ham the only side not to attempt one into the opponents' box so far.

This match was a perfect example of trend as Brentford's Michael Kayode and United's Diogo Dalot launched the ball into the box at every opportunity. It's nothing new at Brentford, who used the tactic successfully last season, but United have now jumped on the bandwagon.

But, as Gronnemark warned, there's a lot more to it than simply chucking it and hoping. “For most teams, throw-ins are a really ugly part because the quality is so low, the ball is being thrown into high-pressure situations where there are duels," he said. "There are too many chaotic throw-ins in the Premier League."

3. Sesko off the mark

Sesko arrived at United in a £73.7million deal from RB Leipzig with a lot of expectation on his shoulders. Having seen how Rasmus Hojlund struggled to cope with that, the Slovenian knew he needed to make a good impression early on. That didn't happen and there were signs of it beginning to get to him.

His first United goal owed a lot to Caoimhin Kelleher, who failed to do with Patrick Dorgu's simple cross, but Sesko showed good determination to keep shooting. He couldn't miss the third go and the 22-year-old, who got 21 goals for Leipzig last season, is now off the mark in his seventh appearance.

4. Fernandes denied after delay

United's captain had the chance to bring his side level from the penalty spot after Nathan Collins pulled back Mbeumo in front of goal. Referee Craig Pawson took his time in pointing to the spot and there were further delays before Fernandes stepped up as VAR checked for a potential red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity.

Brentford boss Keith Andrews then made him wait even longer by making a double substitution. Fernandes side-footed towards the corner but Kelleher kept up his impressive record in penalties, saving his fourth from seven outside of shoot-outs with Brentford and Liverpool.

Fernandes, meanwhile, has now missed two out of three in the Premier League this season, having skied one at Craven Cottage earlier in the season.

5. Amorim's unwanted stat continues

Amorim has been United manager since November 2024. His side are still yet to win back-to-back Premier League games under his management. The United fan who has vowed not to cut his hair until they win five in a row may be waiting a long time on this evidence.

Watching games like this makes you wonder what they do all week on the training pitch. With no European football or Carabao Cup to consider, United have all week to prepare for their league matches, yet they were blown away inside the opening 20 minutes and then offered little as they chased the game. The penalty was a point gift-wrapped yet they shouldn't take advantage.

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