Brentford vs Man United Prediction: Bees to rise up in relegation race

Brentford could do with evoking memories of August 2022 when they host Manchester United at the Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday night (KO, 20:00). The Bees are winless in their last six Premier League games and are only five points clear of the relegation zone heading into the final months of the season.

Their next opponents have lost two of their last three in the league but will have been boosted by a surprise 4-3 extra-time victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup last time around. Below is our Brentford vs Man United prediction, with all the latest team news and match odds provided for this Sky Sports-televised fixture.

Team News

Brentford will be without on-loan Tottenham left-back Sergio Reguilon after the Spaniard's early red card against Burnley last time out, creating further problems on that side of the pitch with Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey still out injured.

Vitaly Janelt may be required to fill in again, a much more likely scenario if Christian Norgaard - who missed Brentford's defeat at Turf Moor - is fit to return in the middle of midfield.

Bryan Mbuemo made his comeback from a three-month injury layoff against the Clarets and the international break will have allowed him to further build up his fitness with a view to starting on Saturday.

Neal Maupay and Keane Lewis-Potter were also used as substitutes in that match and are in contention to start against Man United.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils could welcome Lisandro Martinez back from injury amid concerns over fellow centre-back Harry Maguire, who withdrew from the England squad after their 1-0 defeat to Brazil last Saturday.

Left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are still injured which should mean Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot lining up at full-back again.

Antony and Amad both scored off the bench against Liverpool to do their chances of starting no harm, though it seems unlikely that any of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes or Rasmus Hojlund will be displaced in the first XI.

Casemiro sustained a muscle injury before the cup tie with Liverpool and looks likely to miss out again, leaving Scott McTominay and newly-capped England international Kobbie Mainoo to continue their partnership in the middle of midfield.

Match Odds

The hosts are 21/10 - or a 32.3% chance - to claim a vital victory on their own patch, while the visitors can be backed at 6/5, implying they have a 45.5% chance of picking up all three points.

The draw is available at 13/5, both teams to score is 4/9 and Ivan Toney to score anytime is 11/8.

Brentford to win @ 21/10

Granted, the stats certainly don't point in the direction of a Brentford win on Saturday, with the Bees desperately short of form and confidence. Their injury list is one of the lengthiest in the Premier League, and even the return of Toney form suspension has failed to provide any sustained improvement.

However, while they have lost five of their last six matches, three of those defeats have been by a single goal. The first two of those were against sides competing for the title - Manchester City and Arsenal - and the Gunners required a late winner from Kai Havertz, who could consider himself fortunate to still be on the field after an earlier dive. Their latest loss at Burnley, meanwhile, saw them down to 10 men after eight minutes following a red card handed to Reguilon.

Events have conspired against Brentford, but sandwiched either side of home defeats to Man City and Liverpool was a 2-2 draw with Chelsea and 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest at the Brentford Community Stadium. Their home form, then, doesn't look quite as bad, and they drew 1-1 with Wolves in the FA Cup in their only other game there in 2024.

Something needs to turn soon for Frank if his side is to avoid an end-of-season scrap for survival, and I think it will happen for them this weekend. The international break has offered them some welcome respite and they haven't had as many players away on international duty as other sides in the division.

On the face of it, Man United's form this calendar year is impressive. Just two defeats in 12 - one of those to Man City - in all competitions points to a side that has found their mojo again under Erik ten Hag.

However, watching them paints a completely different picture. The Red Devils were either hanging on or forced to find late winners in victories over Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Luton Town, Aston Villa and Wolves, and it was a similar story in the reverse fixture against Brentford at Old Trafford in October, when the Bees were leading for the majority of the game before a stoppage-time brace from substitute McTominay claimed all three points for the hosts.

I don't see that happening this time around, with Brentford picking up a vital victory on home turf in their battle to stay in the Premier League.

Bruno Fernandes to score anytime @ 11/4

The Portugal international looks the best value pick in the anytime scorer odds here, especially considering he is United's designated penalty taker and the Red Devils have won five in the league this term - only three clubs have won more.

Fernandes scored one in his last Premier League match against Everton before handing over duties to Marcus Rashford for the second, but it's about time he finds one from open play too, with his last one in the competition coming way back on November 4 against Fulham.

The 29-year-old struck from open play for Portugal in a friendly against Sweden last week and that should whet his appetite for this weekend's game against a struggling Brentford side who have shipped 10 goals in their last four.

Check out the rest of our Football Betting Tips here.