Marcus Rashford delivered the decisive goal as Manchester United returned to the Premier League top four, beating Brent ford 1‑0 on Wednesday. United had slipped to fifth after three winless league games and a string of cup commitments that left them without a Premier League victory since mid‑February. Erik ten Hag’s side also sought revenge for a 4‑0 drubbing at the hands of the Bees in August. Ten Hag’s criticism of his players’ attitude after a 2‑0 loss to Newcastle on Sunday seemed to spark a response. “Hopefully we can build on that and get back to where we were a couple of weeks ago,” Rashford said. “Everyone’s clear on the fact that we’re not going to play our best football every week, but we have to maintain our standards.” Rashford started centrally as ten Hag finally dropped Wout Weghorst, a move that paid off when Rashford side‑footed Marcel Sabitzer’s knock‑down for his 28th goal of the season. Brentford, who had lost only one of their previous 16 league games to sit ninth, offered little attacking threat for the first hour. They came close to an equaliser when Ivan Toney charged down David de Gea’s clearance, the ball flying inches wide. De Gea later redeemed himself by blocking a Kevin Schade effort, Brentford’s only other clear chance. “We want to play as a machine and not make mistakes,” ten Hag said. “We made one mistake and thankfully they didn’t benefit from it. This is a massive win.”
Newcastle’s 5‑1 victory at West Ham moved them to third place, keeping them above United on goal difference. Both clubs now hold a three‑point advantage over Tottenham and possess a game in hand in the race for a Champions League spot next season. Eddie Howe praised his side’s clinical display despite not being at their best: “It’s been a while since we’ve been like that. We set such high standards for ourselves; we want the team to be at our highest level.” Callum Wilson, reinstated in the starting XI for Alexander Isak, repaid Howe’s trust by heading the opener after six minutes. Joelinton doubled the lead inside 13 minutes, latching onto Fabian Schar’s ball, rounding Lukasz Fabianski and finishing into an empty net. Kurt Zouma’s header just before halftime gave West Ham a brief hope, but Jacob Murphy’s dispossession of Nayef Aguerd on the restart led to another Wilson tap‑in. A West Ham error later allowed Isak to score, and Joelinton added a third.
David Moyes watched in dismay as his side’s defense collapsed, a result that could seal his fate as the 13th Premier League manager dismissed this season. The defeat leaves West Ham just outside the relegation zone on goal difference.
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