Scott McTominay’s stoppage-time double on Saturday gave Manchester United a dramatic 2-1 win at home against Brentford, while 10-man Tottenham Hotspur climbed to the top of the English Premier League after a 1-0 victory at Luton Town.
Troubled United were just moments away from a third defeat in the space of seven days at Old Trafford before McTominay came to the rescue.
Beaten by Crystal Palace last weekend and then Galatasaray SK in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, manager Erik ten Hag’s side were breached in shambolic fashion after 26 minutes.
Photo: Reuters
Casemiro gave the ball away under no pressure, Victor Lindelof made a hash of his attempted clearance and Mathias Jensen’s low shot beat Andre Onana’s weak save.
Against a Brentford team without a win since Aug. 19, ninth-placed United were booed off at half-time and labored for long periods before finally equalizing in the 90th minute.
McTominay came off the bench to level three minutes into stoppage-time with a close-range strike. The Scotland midfielder then won it in the 97th minute, producing a powerful header from Maguire’s assist to ease the pressure on Ten Hag.
“We gave the first goal away. It was so disappointing to see that. It can’t be this way,” Ten Hag said. “This has to be the turning point, the reset, in our approach, our attitudes, as a team and as individuals.”
“You have to earn the right to play for the club. That is not always what we have seen in the last few weeks,” he added.
At Kenilworth Road, Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma was sent off just before halftime, earning a needless second booking for diving, but Micky van de Ven’s first goal for the club soon after the interval clinched unbeaten Tottenham’s sixth win in eight league games.
Ange Postecoglou’s side sit two points clear of second-placed Manchester City, who were to travel to title rivals Arsenal yesterday.
“We showed a lot of character and resilience,” Postecoglou said. “The players want to change the destiny of this football club and that is what they are trying to do on the pitch.
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