Manchester United vs Brentford

Man Utd player ratings vs Brentford: Marcus Rashford reliable as ever but David de Gea's distribution isn't good enough

Richard Martin
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Marcus Rashford Manchester United Brentford 2022-23
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Marcus Rashford scored his 28th goal of the season to give Man Utd a nervy 1-0 win over Brentford on another worrying night for David de Gea.

Marcus Rashford fired Manchester United to a 1-0 win over Brentford on Wednesday and sent Erik ten Hag's side back into the Premier League top four. The forward is now approaching the 30-goal milestone in all competitions - a tremendous potential accomplishment for a man who has completely changed the narrative of his career in a matter of months.

But this was not exactly an emphatic response to Sunday's 2-0 surrender to Newcastle and United still have plenty of problems to surmount to ensure they are in the Champions League places by the end of May.

Number one is David de Gea's kicking, after the Spaniard had another torrid time with the ball at his feet.

GOAL rates the United players from a rain-soaked and uncomfortable evening at Old Trafford.

Editors' Picks

  1. Goalkeeper & Defence
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    Goalkeeper & Defence

    David de Gea (4/10):

    His kicking was very sloppy again while he was inches away from gifting a goal to Ivan Toney. Made amends by blocking a close-range shot from Kevin Schade, though it may have been more a product of poor finishing than standout goalkeeping.

    Diogo Dalot (6/10):

    An improvement on his shoddy display at St James' Park.

    Raphael Varane (6/10):

    Won every header he went for and barely allowed Toney a sniff although was beaten for pace by Schade.

    Lisandro Martinez (8/10):

    Another flawless performance, keeping things ticking over from the back with his precision passing.

    Luke Shaw (6/10):

    Heavily involved in attacking moves but was bizarrely taken off in the 37th minute, perhaps as he was on a booking or experiencing a minor injury.

  2. Midfield
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    Midfield

    Scott McTominay (7/10):

    Put his body on the line with several crucial blocks and tackles and came close to scoring in the first half. Would have been United's new No.9 if his fizzing shot had stayed on target!

    Marcel Sabitzer (7/10):

    Set up Rashford's goal with a lovely cushioned header and was very active in attacking play.

    Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

    Offered little in attack and picked up a booking.

  4. Attack
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    Attack

    Antony (8/10):

    Was one of United's more dangerous players, helping set up the goal and coming close a couple of times to scoring himself.

    Marcus Rashford (7/10):

    It was not his most fluid display but once more he made the difference with a composed finish. Where would United be without his goals?

    Jadon Sancho (5/10):

    Another opportunity missed. He was slow and indecisive on the ball in the first half although improved a bit in the second before going off.

  5. Subs & Manager
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    Subs & Manager

    Tyrell Malacia (7/10):

    Really confident on the ball and quick to snuff out any danger on his side, keeping Bryan Mbeumo quiet.

    Fred (6/10):

    Came close to doubling the lead but was not as good as Sabitzer.

    Anthony Martial (5/10):

    Could not create many openings despite the game being stretched. Doesn't look back to full sharpness.

    Victor Lindelof (N/A)

    Only introduced for the final few minutes.

    Erik ten Hag (7/10):

    Finally benched Wout Weghorst and was very active with his substitutions to ensure the lead did not slip.