Kristoffer Ajer’s second objective in as many matches earned Brentford a degree they greater than merited towards Manchester United on Saturday night.
The away facet took the lead towards the run of play six minutes into added time – substitute Mason Mount sweeping past Bees keeper Mark Flekken – however Ajer transformed Ivan Toney’s cutback three minutes later in a dramatic finale at Gtech Group Stadium.
Degree on the break with Brentford twice denied by the woodwork
Thomas Frank made two adjustments to the facet that fell to a slender defeat at Burnley a fortnight in the past at Turf Moor.
Essentially the most notable inclusion was that of Yehor Yarmoliuk who made his first begin of the calendar 12 months, the Ukrainian changing Frank Onyeka in midfield.
Keane Lewis-Potter additionally returned to the facet at left wing-back instead of the suspended Sergio Reguilón.
Manchester United had been unchanged from their dramatic 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool.
A cagey starting noticed half probabilities for each side as Yarmoliuk did nicely to get the byline and in the reduction of searching for Jensen earlier than the guests cleared.
Marcus Rashford led a United counter quickly after, nevertheless it was a transfer that culminated in Bruno Fernandes dragging the away facet’s first opening astray.
It was the Bees who then proceeded to dominate the rest of the half, and certainly the match.
Yoanne Wissa’s work charge noticed him capitalise on some slack visiting defending, producing a low cross that wanted Victor Lindelöf to clear.
Lindelöf’s central defensive accomplice Raphaël Varane then needed to return the favour as Brentford continued to press for the opening objective of the night.
Jensen noticed his shot saved by Onana earlier than Ivan Toney’s free-kick after a intelligent routine with Vitaly Janelt was cleared.
The very best probability of the half fell to Toney quickly after. Nathan Collins displayed nice imaginative and prescient to search out Wissa in area, and his flick across the nook set the England worldwide in on objective.
With solely Andre Onana to beat, Toney’s shot got here agonisingly again off the underside of the keeper’s right-hand submit earlier than United scrambled clear and Wissa headed the ensuing nook broad.
The woodwork would deny Brentford the breakthrough their quick begin had greater than merited once more moments later.
A brief nook routine labored again to authentic taker Jensen ended with Zanka’s highly effective back-post header grazing the crossbar.
Wissa had personified Brentford’s want within the first half. He gained the ball again on the sting of the house group’s space and located Janelt.
The German’s weighted ball excessive was excellent for the run of Toney, who left Lindelöf on the bottom as he minimize inside and fired simply over.
There was no letup within the depth from Frank’s facet as each Janelt and Wissa missed additional efforts and Onana needed to be on his toes to save lots of Lewis-Potter’s header from Ajer’s cross with the surface of his foot because the half ended.
Mount and Ajer heading in the right direction in dramatic finale on the Gtech
The second interval started with a succession of Brentford corners and Diogo Dalot curling broad of the goal.
Wissa’s robust run from inside his personal half produced a shot broad earlier than Flekken made an outstanding save to thwart Rasmus Højlund on the reverse finish of the sector.
Yarmoliuk was then denied by Onana, as was Lewis-Potter on the rebound. The broad man additionally headed astray from Jensen’s cross throughout one other sustained spell of Bees strain.
Toney’s volley from Jensen’s lofted by ball was the subsequent alternative to come back and go. Lewis-Potter’s bicycle inside the realm took the house shot depend to 23 as the sport entered its remaining 20 minutes.
Bryan Mbeumo changed Wissa and Mikel Damsgaard was launched instead of the extremely spectacular Yarmoliuk within the hosts’ first two adjustments.
Toney lastly had the ball within the internet on 73 minutes as he latched on to Mbeumo’s go, however the ahead was flagged inches offside.
The crossbar would deny Brentford but once more when Mbeumo noticed his good volley cannon again off the woodwork, and Toney then hooked the Cameroonian’s nook over with seven minutes left on the clock.
9 added minutes had been signaled by the fourth official, and it regarded prefer it was to be the cruelest of endings for Frank’s facet.
On as an alternative, Mason Mount latched on to Casemiro’s go and curled into the far nook to present the away facet a lead they had been lucky to have earned.
However extra late drama was to comply with, and despair had quickly turned to pleasure contained in the Gtech.
Saman Ghoddos lofted the ball excessive into the Manchester United penalty space, and the ball was brilliantly stored alive by Ivan Toney.
The ahead muscled his technique to the byline and laid the ball on a plate for Ajer to show residence in entrance of the south stand as deserved parity was restored.
There was nonetheless time for the Bees to roll the cube as soon as extra, however United cleared Neal Maupay’s deep cross and referee Hooper introduced a pulsating conflict to a detailed within the 104th minute.
Brentford: Flekken, Roerslev (Maupay 86), Zanka, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter (Ghoddos 86); Jensen, Yarmoliuk (Damsgaard 69), Janelt, Toney, Wissa (Mbeumo 70)
Subs not used: Strakosha, Ji-soo, Trevitt, Baptiste, Onyeka
Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Lindelof (Martínez 69), Varane (Maguire 45), Wan-Bissaka, McTominay, Mainoo (Casemiro 80), Garnacho (Antony 58), Fernandes, Rashford (Mount 80), Højlund
Subs not used: Heaton, Amrabat, Kambwala, Eriksen
Attendance: 17,138
Frank: Man Utd draw was higher show than 4-0 win
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank believes the 1-1 draw on Saturday evening was a greater efficiency than the 4-0 win over Manchester United final season.
The Bees’ high quality efficiency was highlighted by the actual fact they turned the primary group to have greater than 80 touches contained in the opposition field in a Premier League sport this marketing campaign.
Frank acknowledged: “I feel this efficiency was one or two ranges increased than the 4-0 win towards them. That’s the attention-grabbing factor in soccer, why it’s so unusual and troublesome to handle and perceive typically.
“However what a efficiency and I hope all of the followers are actually pleased with the group; we’re taking part in towards a kind of absolutely power Manchester United group. We’ve received our complete again 4 out, we’ve received our mortgage left-back out, we’ve received our captain out – however we destroyed Man United in some ways, 31 photographs.
“I’m so, so, so glad that we received at the least a degree; if not, I most likely would have misplaced religion within the huge soccer Gods!
“However how we aren’t getting three factors at the moment is unbelievable.”
Ajer: United draw one among Brentford’s finest Premier League performances
Kristoffer Ajer believes that Brentford’s efficiency towards Manchester United on Saturday was one of many facet’s finest within the Premier League.
“It was a loopy sport,” he stated. “We performed one among our greatest video games within the Premier League and created so many probabilities. On a unique day we win fairly comfortably.
“Once they scored the 1-0 objective it was a punch within the face for the entire group, however fortunately we managed to get the equaliser.”
Ajer added: “We defended very nicely, which is an important factor. It was an unfortunate objective to concede: two tackles, two deflections that bounced for them and a superb end.
“The mentality within the group is unbelievable. It was powerful to concede the objective however I knew we might create extra probabilities.”