The Red Devils were full of points on Monday, in the last match of the 35th day of “PL”. And this with the first English goal of Raphaël Varane.
After taking only one point over the last three days and seeing his chances of playing in the Champions League next season vanish (the ranking here), Manchester United recovered by beating Brentford (3-0 ), Monday, at the end of the 35th day of the Premier League. With 58 points, the Red Devils are 6th, five points behind Arsenal, currently 4th and last virtual qualifier for the C1, and three points behind Tottenham (5th).
But they are also the only team to have already played 36 matches and therefore only have two games left on the program against four for the Gunners and as many for the Spurs. Manchester United’s C1 goal, if it remains mathematically possible, would depend on an unlikely combination of circumstances.
For their last game of the season at Old Trafford, still marked by protests against the American owners, the Glazer family, the Mancunians will have been forgiven a little for a mediocre season. From the 9th minute, Anthony Elanga, one of the rare satisfactions of the season, went behind the defense and straightened the ball to find Bruno Fernandes who volleyed and opened the scoring (1-0, 9th ).
Obviously Ronaldo, Varane first
On the hour mark, Cristiano Ronaldo, very prominent, obtained a penalty which he transformed himself (2-0, 61st). Before triggering the famous “Siuuu”, his favorite celebration, he pointed to his chest and then to the lawn of Old Trafford, seeming to express very clearly that he had no intention of playing elsewhere than at Manchester United the next season. Eleven minutes later, it was Raphaël Varane who closed the scoring from a corner (3-0, 72nd). Simply his first goal with the club he joined this summer.
On the Brentford side, Christian Eriksen was again the main threat with a perfect cross for the head of Ivan Toney (22nd) close to the crossbar and a distant free kick well blocked by David De Gea (55th). The Spanish goalkeeper was again very present to repel another strike from Toney (57th).
But this last home outing of the season, if it was successful and gave emblematic players Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata a nice farewell before the end of their contract, will not erase the poor quality of the game offered the more often. Beyond the appointment of Erik Ten Hag as coach from the offseason, major maneuvers are underway behind the scenes to put Manchester United back in the big leagues and the task is daunting.