Brentford

Premier League holders Liverpool’s title defence continues to stutter as Brentford’s recovery persists.

Champions Liverpool suffered a fourth successive Premier League defeat as they lost 3-2 at Brentford to continue their miserable run of form in London.

Arne Slot’s stumbling side fell behind after five minutes on Saturday when Dango Ouattara volleyed in following a long throw, and Kevin Schade went through to make it 2-0 in the 45th.

Milos Kerkez replied for the visitors in first-half stoppage time with his first Liverpool goal from Conor Bradley’s cross.

Liverpool’s expected second-half siege never really materialised, however, and Igor Thiago restored Brentford’s two-goal advantage from the penalty spot on the hour mark.

Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool hope with a clinical finish in the 89th minute, but they had left it too late.

It is the first time since 2021 that Liverpool have lost four successive league games, with three of those matches being in London after defeats at Crystal Palace and Chelsea.

They are now sixth in the table on 15 points, four points behind leaders Arsenal, who could extend that margin on Sunday when they host Crystal Palace.

Brentford’s second win in a row moved them up to 10th place, two points behind Liverpool.

Brentford fans taunt Liverpool manager Slot

The home fans took delight in taunting Liverpool manager Arne Slot with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning”, and while the Dutchman need not worry about that, the sense of his side’s title defence wilting was palpable.

They looked fragile at the back and were often out-muscled by Brentford. Doubts about Salah’s lack of impact will also continue, despite him slamming home a fine late goal to end a more than a month-long scoreless run in the Premier League.

Brentford’s threat from long throws could not have escaped Slot’s attention, but his side were caught cold by the tactic on a chilly night in southwest London.

Michael Kayode wound up a long delivery into the box, and when Kristoffer Ajer flicked it on, Ouattara reacted superbly to hook his volley past Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Liverpool responded with chances for Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, but they were not convincing and were undone again as halftime loomed. Mikkel Damsgaard’s superb long pass sent Schade away, and he kept his composure to beat Mamardashvili.

Kerkez fired home from close range in the fifth minute of stoppage time, despite fierce Brentford protests about an infringement.

Brentford earned a penalty when Virgil van Dijk clipped Ouattara’s foot on the edge of the area, and after a long VAR check, referee Tim Robinson awarded a spot-kick, and Thiago coolly slotted his shot down the middle.

Salah’s instant control and finish set up a chaotic period of stoppage time that took the game into its 100th minute, but Brentford held on for a thoroughly deserved three points.

Follow our live build-up with team news coverage before our live text commentary stream of the EPL clash.

These are troubling times for West Ham off the pitch too.

There were a large number of empty seats at London Stadium on Monday as some fans staged a boycott, staying away in protest against the running of the club.

While this was the first boycott, supporters have previously called for chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady, who have been at West Ham since 2010, to step down.

Thousands of fans demonstrated before last month’s defeat by Crystal Palace and in response the club issued a lengthy statement,, external saying they were continuing “to listen to fan feedback”, have made “significant investment into the football operation” and “continue to do everything we can to improve the matchday experience”.

Payne was one of the fans who stayed away from the game for what he said was the first and the last time he will do so.

“There was a boycott but fans are not the problem, we are the solution waiting to be heard,” he said.

“It was a deliberate boycott to send a message to the owners that something has got to change.”

Payne said fan protests are solely aimed at the club’s owners, rather than the manager or players.

But Nuno’s decision to start with inverted full-backs against Brentford did raise some eyebrows.

“It’s unfair on Nuno and it’s unfair on the players as well,” Payne added.

“Nuno is a fantastic bloke, but I think he got his selections a bit skew-whiff last night by playing a young left-back – who has never played anywhere else – as right-back. Ollie Scarles, I felt sorry for him really.”

MANCHESTER UNITED clash with Brentford in Saturday’s Premier League showdown at the Gtech Community Stadium.

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CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN was booed back at Brentford in United colours for having the temerity to join England’s biggest club three years ago.

And Bryan Mbeumo can expect similar treatment after the rancour around his transfer.

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United felt Brentford attempted to railroad Mbeumo into joining Tottenham or Newcastle United, convinced that he would be on a lower wage that would then drive up his transfer fee. Mbeumo joined United for £65, rising to £71m.

When Brentford finally relented and sold the AWOL Yoane Wissa to Newcastle on deadline day, it was for £50m plus £5m in add-ons. 

Wissa is an actual striker and scored as many goals as Mbeumo last season, which undermined Brentford’s belief that they could have recouped more from Spurs or Newcastle for Mbeumo. 

Xavi Simons and Nick Woltemade, Tottenham and Newcastle’s most expensive summer signings, were not as costly as Mbeumo.

The press room at the Community Stadium is so tight you tend to literally rub shoulders with colleagues. Staff from United and Brentford may keep their distance.

MAIN ATTRACTION

KOBBIE MAINOO is out of the United side and one of his closest teammates, Alejandro Garnacho, was out in the cold before he left last month.

But Mainoo has a new best pal in Leny Yoro.

Mainoo and Yoro have grown close since the latter joined United from Lille last summer.

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Mainoo started learning Spanish while he was out two years ago as Garnacho and Amad are both fluent in the language.

Garnacho remains tight with Amad – the pair are represented by the same agent – as they demonstrated with last week’s infamous Instagram Story that Amad received online abuse for.

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Mainoo is something of an outlier in that he has gravitated towards foreign teammates.

Although Yoro spoke impeccable English at the time of his £59million transfer. 

PORT OF CALL

PORTUGUESE pair Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot both attended the Lewis Capaldi concert at Co-Op Live after last week’s victory over Chelsea.

Members of the Fernandes family had flown over from Portugal for the occasion.

Or to provide childcare for his two children.

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CARR INSURANCE

THE NEW home matchday schedule for United players to report at Carrington before boarding a bus for Old Trafford caused confusion for some of the younger squad members last month.

A handful of youngsters assumed the team coach would ferry them back to the training complex after the game, where they had naively left their vehicles.

Senior players are usually dropped off at Carrington by a spouse or confidant and so their vehicle is in place at the stadium post-match.

Some stranded junior members of the squad had to get Ubers to the training base after a game to be reunited with their vehicles.

Erik ten Hag scrapped United’s pre-match stays at The Lowry Hotel in 2022 and the squad would arrive four hours before kick-off for home games.

Ruben Amorim has opted to delay United’s travel time and they now tend to get to their ground an hour-and-a-half before kick-off.

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HARDY ABLE

UNITED are in the process of signing teenage goalkeeper Charlie Hardy from Derby County.

Hardy, 16, has played five times for England Under 16s and is going through formalities to complete a move to United. 

He was named on the bench against United U18s when he was only 14 last year and made his debut for Derby U18s at the age of 15.

As a category one scholar, Hardy can move to another English club at any time over the course of the season.

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PELL RINGER

MANUEL PELLEGRINI thinks Antony just needed an arm put around him and a club that makes him feel important.

United reject Antony, 25, has been reborn at Real Betis after a miserable two years at Old Trafford.

The Brazil winger sparkled after joining Betis on loan in January and made the move permanent after long talks brought a deadline-day switch for up to £21.6m.

United included a 50 per cent sell-on clause in the deal for Antony, who followed a classy assist with a late goal to secure a 2-2 draw in Wednesday’s Europa League opener against Nottingham Forest.

Before the game, Betis boss Pellegrini, 72, said: “I try to make them feel the best so that they can also give me their best.”

Antony is much better suited to La Liga, where he is more comfortable with the ball at his feet and not so physically pressed.

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THE return of the long throw has had an impact on how much football Prem fans have seen this season.

Brentford’s stoppage time leveller against Chelsea after the Blues could not cope with a ball hurled into their box came in the week that Thomas Tuchel signposted his willingness to go direct with England.

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And the statistics show that the Bees are not the exponents of old-fashioned Pulis-ball.

In the 40 Prem games so far this season, there have been 130 long throws, at an average of 3.3 per match.

That compares to last season’s average, over the 380 games, of 1.5 per match – a doubling of the frequency.

And senior figures believe the return of the long throw has been a factor in a significant shortage of actual playing time.

Figures provided by Stats Perform show that across the 40 top flight games the ball has only been in play for an average of 54 minutes and 21 seconds, down 133 seconds from last season’s average.

The analysis by Prem insiders suggests that one major reason is that the extra number of long throws has seen more teams sending their centre-backs up into the opposition box.

A similar amount of positioning, by both attacking and defending sides, at corner kicks, has also been noticed, with many sides now having specialist set-piece coaching teams.

And with goalkeepers unable to hold onto the ball for more than eight seconds under the new Laws, also taking longer at goal kicks when the ball goes out of play, fans are getting less value for their ticket prices.

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One expert explained: “What we’re seeing makes it clear that the amount of long throws in particular is making a difference.

“It will be interesting to see if it continues for the rest of the season or is just a passing fad.”

CHELSEA travel up the road where they will face rivals Brentford in what is already their fourth London derby of the season – and SunSport can point fans in the right direction of where to tune in.

Joao Pedro’s header and Enzo Fernandez’s penalty helped the Blues overcome a furious Fulham side before the international break.

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But it was a victory that was surrounded by controversy as the PGMOL were forced to apologise for incorrectly ruling out Fulham forward, Josh King’s goal.

And Pedro’s opening strike was a major talking point with it coming in the NINTH minute of stoppage time despite only eight minutes being added.

Elsewhere, Brentford had drama of their own as they most recently lost to newly-promoted Sunderland courtesy of a 90+6 stoppage time Wilson Isidor penalty after leading the game up until the 77th minute.

So they’ll be itching to get back on track with a win and hand one of the only remaining undefeated sides a loss at the Gtech.

How can I watch Brentford vs Chelsea?

• Brentford vs Chelsea will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
• Fans can also stream the entire action via a compatible tablet or mobile device on NOW TV.
• Alternatively, SunSport will have minute-by-minute action through our live blog.
• This London derby takes place on Saturday, September 13 and kicks off at 8pm BST.
• The Gtech Community Stadium is the chosen venue for this thrilling clash and it can host approximately 17,250 supporters.
• There was nothing to separate the sides when they last met in April with the score ending 0-0.

What is the latest injury news?

Chelsea have been dealt an injury blow with Liam Delap‘s injury worse than first feared.

Delap, 22, hobbled off early on in the controversial win over Fulham on August 30.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca initially thought his £30million transfer from Ipswich would miss six to eight weeks.

But it is now clear he will miss significantly more than that.

The Athletic report Delap will not return to training until November.

Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile are all set to the miss the London derby.

As for Blues talisman Cole Palmer, it is still unclear whether he’ll return after missing both the clash against West Ham and Fulham as well as pulling out of the England side.

Earlier in the window, the DR Congo international removed all association with the club from his Instagram account.

Wissa told the club website: “I’m really happy to be here and to sign for one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.

“I’m very, very excited to put on the black and white shirt. I’ve got dreams, I’ve got faith, and now I will do my best to make it all happen. I can’t wait to get started.”

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe added: “Yoane is a player who we have admired for some time and we’re delighted to have him on board.

“He brings proven Premier League quality, demonstrated not only by his goalscoring output but also the crucial work he does for the team.

“Yoane will excite our supporters and complement our style of play – he has pace, power and an excellent work rate. He immediately makes us stronger.”

Wissa joined Brentford in 2021 and went on to score 49 goals in 149 appearances for the club.

He is the second striker signed by Newcastle in recent days, after they also brought in club-record signing Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart on a six-year contract.

Wissa is the sixth senior summer arrival at Newcastle, following Woltemade, goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, winger Anthony Elanga, midfielder Jacob Ramsey and centre-back Malick Thiaw.

Wissa has made clear he wants to leave for St James’ Park and has not been training or playing with the first team this season.

According to sources, Brentford originally wanted £40m for Wissa but the price has now increased to about £65m.

The transfer window closes at 19:00 BST on Monday.

Brentford have already lost fellow forward Bryan Mbeumo this summer to Manchester United for £65m, but signed Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth for a club record deal worth up to £42.5m.

Wissa’s possible move to Newcastle is believed to be part of a series of transfers that could result in Alexander Isak joining Liverpool.

Isak is in a similar situation at Newcastle, accusing the club of “broken promises” as he tries to force an exit to the Premier League champions.

In his statement, Wissa – who has scored 49 goals in 149 games since he joined in 2021 – said: “I have stayed silent for much of the summer, but with just hours remaining of the transfer window I feel compelled make it clear that I want to leave Brentford. I believe the club are unduly standing in my way despite a series of fair offers throughout the summer.

“This has left me in a difficult and frustrating position. It saddens me to have to write that, and I maintain total respect for the club and its fans.”

He added: “I ask Brentford’s owners and directors to now honour their promise to let me leave in the final hours of the window.”

BBC Sport reported in July that Wissa flew home early from the club’s summer training camp in Portugal after making clear he wanted the move to Newcastle.

Ever since he has been in a stand-off with the club over his intention to join Eddie Howe’s side.

He did return to first-team training for a short period but has gone back to working away from Keith Andrews’ squad.

Wissa, who scored 19 goals in the Premier League last season, also removed all association with Brentford from his Instagram account.

He says a formal offer was submitted by another Premier League club and he was “under the impression, from all my conversations with Brentford, that there was a mutual agreement to part ways”.

He added: “I want to make it clear that I have not acted unprofessionally, nor do I wish to leave Brentford on bad terms. I have been transparent in my position throughout. I have continued to communicate openly with the club and conduct myself in a way that reflects my values as both a footballer and a human being.

“In the meantime, I must do what I feel is right for my career and family and insist that Brentford honour their promise to let me join a new club and at a fair price.”

BBC Sport has contacted Brentford for comment.

Brentford have had two offers rejected for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Joey Veerman.

The Dutch club responded to Brentford’s second offer, believed to be in the region of £25m, with the message that Veerman is not for sale.

The Bees are now considering whether to return with a new offer for the 26-year-old, who has 16 caps for the Netherlands.

Brentford remain keen to strengthen their squad before the transfer deadline on Monday but are having difficulty in landing their top targets.

The west London club have also had a £45m bid rejected for Borussia Dortmund forward Max Beier.

Whether Brentford can strengthen in attacking areas could have a bearing on whether DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa joins Newcastle.

Wissa has told the club of his wish to move to St James’ Park this summer.

Newcastle have seen two offers for Wissa turned down – the latest worth £30m plus £5m in add ons.

“So, Yoane won’t be involved. But as far as I’m concerned, there’s been no movement in any way and fully expect Yoane to be here come next Tuesday.”

Andrews felt the decision not to involve Wissa against the Cherries was “best for the group”.

The Brentford boss, appointed in June after Thomas Frank’s departure to Tottenham, said he always knew Wissa – who has scored 49 goals in 149 appearances for the Bees – would be a transfer target this summer.

“I knew there was, or would be, interest,” added Andrews. “Naturally, when you score that amount of Premier League goals and play as well as he did last season in particular.

“He’s built his career at this football club over the last four years where he’s grown in stature, presence. I’m not surprised by it.”

YOANE WISSA is back training with his Brentford team-mates and could feature in the Bees’ clash with Aston Villa.

The Democratic Republic of Congo international has been the subject of TWO failed bids from Newcastle United, whom he’s eager to join.

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He missed the west Londoners’ Prem opener against Nottingham Forest amid Newcastle’s continued interest in signing him.

Wissa, like wantaway Newcastle hitman Alexander Isak, who the Magpies want him to replace, was training alone late last month.

But Bees boss Keith Andrews has revealed the 28-year-old is back training with his team-mates and could be in the starting XI for the visit of Villa.

He said of Wissa: “He’s been training with the team.

“In terms of being involved this weekend, I’ll make a decision on the squad tomorrow, but he’s part of the group this week.”

Brentford have knocked back £30m and £40million offers from Newcastle for Wissa’s services.

The Bees board, who let Bryan Mbeumo join Manchester United last month, are seemingly determined to keep him at the club.

And Andrews is hoping to still be able to call on Wissa come September 2.

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He said: “He’s a Brentford player right now.

“My stance around Yoane all along is I don’t want him to leave.

“That hasn’t really changed in any way, shape or form. I keep going back to being understanding of his situation.

“But for me I don’t want to lose a player of that quality.

“So that hasn’t really changed throughout the whole episode of the transfer window.

“Hopefully, he’s here in the next 10-12 days, whatever it is. Certainly, as a head coach that’s what I would like.”

Indeed, Wissa has been expecting the Bees to agree his move to Tyneside this week after the west London side completed the signing of Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth.

However, according to sources, Brentford are still hesitating in allowing Wissa to leave amid suggestions they now value him above their original £40m asking price.

Reports suggest Brentford now value Wissa, who did not feature for the club during pre-season, at £60m.

As a result, the ongoing conflict between Wissa and Brentford has escalated, with the forward removing all photographs of him playing or training for the club from his official Instagram page.

Tottenham are also interested, but as things stand Newcastle’s move is more advanced. It now remains to be seen whether Brentford sanction his sale before the transfer deadline.

Wissa has scored 49 goals in 149 appearances for the Bees.

Brentford have agreed a club record deal worth up to £42.5m for Bournemouth forward Dango Ouattara.

The 23-year-old is set to travel to London on Friday to undergo a medical.

Sources close to Ouattara told BBC Sport he wanted to leave, having not had a prominent role at Vitality Stadium.

The Burkina Faso international scored nine goals in 37 appearances in all competitions for the Cherries last season.

Nottingham Forest previously held an interest in Ouattara, but they have agreed a £37.5m deal with Ipswich for England Under-21 winger Omari Hutchinson.

Brentford themselves had a £35m bid rejected by Ipswich for Hutchinson last month.

Grimsby Town vs Manchester United

THE last thing we want to do is cause a panic among Dream Team managers before a ball has been kicked.

But it’s our duty to highlight any discrepancies worthy of discussion as the Gameweek 1 deadline draws near and so we feel compelled to discuss Caoimhin Kelleher (£3m).

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As it stands, the Republic or Ireland international is set to start the 2025/26 season as the most popular goalkeeper in Dream Team.

MOST POPULAR GOALKEEPERS IN DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF GAMEWEEK 1 (% OWNERSHIP)

• 11.6%  Caoimhin Kelleher
• 9.7%  Robert Sanchez
• 9.2%  Matz Sels
• 9%  David Raya
• 8.7%  Alisson

Before we get cynical, let’s be clear that Kelleher is a very fine keeper.

Last season, he performed superbly for Liverpool while Alisson was sidelined with injury for a sustained period from mid-October until Christmas.

Most notably, he saved two penalties in the space of four days against Southampton and Real Madrid to grab the headlines.

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During this time, Kelleher was something of a Dream Team cheat code as he was a cheap starter for the best team in the country and gaffers who took advantage of this situation were rewarded with plentiful points.

In fact, his average of 5.3 points-per-game was among the highest in his position for 2024/25.

This summer, the 26-year-old has transferred from Liverpool to Brentford in a move that will make him No1 for the first time in his career.

Kelleher’s historical record and the promise of increased minutes are the reasons he’s a popular choice among Dream Team bosses, not to mention his affordable price.

However, at the risk of coming across all doom and gloom, there are some issues to be addressed.

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Firstly, a simple truth must be stated: Brentford are not Liverpool.

Clean sheets are the primary currency for keepers in Dream Team but it generally takes a team effort to repel the opposition.

You could have Lev Yashin, Gigi Buffon and Manuel Neuer all between the sticks at once but if they aren’t given suitable protection then it is inevitable they will concede goals.

Last season, Brentford conceded 57 league goals, 16 more than champions Liverpool.

But even that doesn’t tell the full story of the disparity between Kelleher’s old club and his new employers.

The Bees conceded a whopping 646 shots in total, only Southampton gave up more opportunities.

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The xG stats are kinder to the West London outfit, suggesting that six teams defended worse, but Dream Team managers should realise that clean sheets will be much harder for Kelleher to come by at the Gtech.

His predecessor, Mark Flekken, made more saves (159) than any other Dream Team goalkeeper last season, another indication of Brentford’s defensive vulnerabilities.

Of course, racking up lots of saves is another way to earn points – perhaps Kelleher’s best avenue going forward – but it’s difficult to make waves without clean sheets and let’s not forget that conceding goals can lead to minus points.

Another big concern is that Brentford might find life harder in the top flight this campaign.

They have lost Thomas Frank, Christian Norgaard and Bryan Mbeumo, with Yoane Wissa also linked to other clubs.

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Keith Andrews has been appointed head coach and has a huge task ahead of him.

Pre-season predictions are often foolish in hindsight but many pundits are envisaging a taxing season for the Bees.

We’re not saying that Kelleher is a horrible selection but, given all the factors, it seems unusual that he’s more popular than all his rivals.

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The Cameroon international, who recorded career-best figures in the EPL last season, joins the club on a long-term deal.

Manchester United has signed forward Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford until 2030, with the option to extend for a further year, United said.

United paid 65 million pounds ($88m) to Brentford, with another 6 million pounds ($8m) potentially due in add-ons for the 25-year-old Cameroon international, according to a club source.

Mbeumo hit new heights in the 2024-25 league season, finishing with a career-high 20 goals to help Brentford to a solid 10th-place finish in the Premier League. Only Mohamed Salah (29), Alexander Isak (23) and Erling Haaland (22) scored more league goals.

“As soon as I knew there was a chance to join Manchester United, I had to take the opportunity to sign for the club of my dreams, the team whose shirt I wore growing up,” Mbeumo said on Monday.

“My mentality is to always be better than I was yesterday. I know that I have the spirit of character to reach another level here, learning from [manager] Ruben Amorim and playing alongside world-class players.”

The versatile Mbeumo thrived on the right wing and also impressed as a centre-forward, proving indispensable for Brentford by starting every league game last season.

He joined the London club from Ligue 2 side Troyes in 2019 and made 242 appearances, scoring 70 goals and providing 51 assists.

“Bryan’s goals and assists record in the Premier League is exceptional. His remarkable consistency has put him amongst the most productive players in England for the last three seasons,” said United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox.

“We are delighted to have secured another one of our primary targets ahead of the preseason tour. The experience in the US will be the perfect opportunity for Bryan to work with Ruben and his new teammates as we prepare for an exciting season ahead.”

Mbeumo becomes United’s fourth signing of the summer after the arrivals of Matheus Cunha, Diego Leon and youngster Enzo Kana-Biyik.

United are playing three preseason matches in the United States: July 26 vs West Ham United in New Jersey, July 30 vs Bournemouth in Chicago and August 3 vs Everton in Atlanta.

The wait is over. pic.twitter.com/hPQhyobOrB

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 21, 2025

He has done well at Brentford, but playing for Manchester United is very different. With respect to Brentford, there is no great expectation there. At United, he will be expected to perform straightaway.

He has experience, he is a good finisher, and his versatility is a big positive – he can play as a central striker as well as on the wing, cutting inside off the right on to his left foot.

But he has had one very good season where his numbers were very good, so the question is whether he can repeat that.

Consistency in those forward positions is what United are striving for, because they have not had it with, say, Alejandro Garnacho or Antony.

They are maybe thinking an older, more experienced player, who is more reliable, is what they need. That’s Mbeumo – he fits into Ruben Amorim’s system, and he fits the bill as proven Premier League quality too.

United’s attack is clearly an area they need to improve. People talk about how the way they play at the back, with the back three Amorim wants, and it is a difficult system to play at times when you are trying to press high because all your players have to work hard and be really switched on.

That’s why he has gone for Mbeumo, because I think he is someone he feels he can trust in all areas, in possession and out of it, with the work-rate and energy he needs – and goals too.