AJER’S STING IN THE TAIL
Bees’ Kris has final word after
BRENTFORD snatched a priceless 99th-minute leveller through Kristoffer Ajer to earn a well-earned point against Manchester United in one of the most dramatic games you are likely to witness all season.
The Bees had countless attempts at goal but their lack of cutting edge was brutally punished six minutes into stoppage time when Mason Mount netted his first in United colours and the jubilant travelling supporters could not believe their luck.
But Brentford did not lie down, somehow regrouping after United’s ecstatic celebrations to draw level through Ajer, who slammed home Ivan Toney’s cut-back with aplomb.
United were fortunate to be leaving with a point after surviving a 90-minute onslaught but they will feel sickened to the core after throwing away such a precious late lead so late in the day.
The Red Devils were 4-0 down at the break last time they visited the Gtech Community Stadium.this time around – it genuinely could have been more.
Brentford had a remarkable 14 attempts at goal before the interval but they failed to truly trouble Andre Onana or make their relentless pressure count.
Toney struck the inside of the post in the 24th minute after he, Keane Lewis-potter and Mathias Jensen had all gone close.
The England international frontman was given the freedom of west London as he stole a march on markervictor Lindelof to collect Yoane Wissa’s pass but the 28-yearold fluffed his lines.
Even when Toney does not find the target, he is central to everything that is brilliant about Brentford.
Lindelof was pictured by TV cameras gasping for air on one occasion after he was left in a heap by Toney’s tricky dribbling as Brentford pressed for the opener.
And while the striker was on a one-man mission to book his seat on the plane for Euro 2024, Marcus Rashford delivered the kind of performance that would give Gareth Southgate an excuse to leave him off it.
Bees defender Mathias Jorgensen saw a header skim off the bar before Wissa and Lewis-potter squandered two more notable opportunities.
The pressure continued following the restart, however as Vitaly Janelt went down under the challenge of Alejandro Garnacho, referee Simon Hooper did not flinch.
Then came a sequence of nearmisses at both ends of the pitch.
First Diogo Dalot flashed a dipping long-range strike just wide of the mark before Mark Flekken made a stunning stop to deny Rasmus Hojlund from opening the scoring.
Up the other end, Onana was also called into a fine double save to deny Yehor Yarmoliuk and Lewis-potter beforewissa’s sumptuous volley flew narrowly past the post.
Toney had the ball in the net after volleying home from close range but the strike was chalked off for offside.
Bryan Mbeumo then crashed against the bar with a superb volley just when it looked like neither keeper was to be beaten.
That was until Mount climbed off the bench to strike past Flekken in what looked to have given United a smash-and-grab win.
But in the 99th minute, the Bees stung back as Toney teed up Ajer to hammer home.
in the best way possible. Brentford were at their in-your-face best and Mainoo was forced to roll up his sleeves and do the dirty work that Southgate had previously earmarked for Jordan Henderson or Kalvin Phillips.
Thomas Frank’s side may still be without a win in seven games and are being dragged perilously close to the Premier League’s danger zone.
But they produced a gutsy performance that questioned whether United were over the memory of their last visit to the
Gtech. Ten Hag’s second game in charge in August 2022 ended in a 4-0 humiliation that could have been worse had Brentford not taken their heel off United throats after scoring all of their goals inside 25 first-half minutes.
This could have been another mauling. Ivan Toney, Mathias Jorgensen and Bryan Mbeumo all hit the woodwork.
But when Raphael Varane was replaced by Harry Maguire at the break, it briefly appeared that United were getting to grips with the physicality of Brentford’s challenge. Diogo Dalot sent a long-range shot just wide of the angle of crossbar and post before Rasmus Hojlund was denied by a brilliant Mark Flekken save.
But when the home side found a second wind, United were back under the cosh.
Andre Onana produced a double save to keep out Yehor Yarmoliuk’s drive and Keane Lewis-potter’s follow-up. Toney then saw a brilliant finish ruled out by an offside flag.
And things really got going in injury-time as Mount fired home before Ajer rescued a point.