Elanga and Pereira score as Man Utd draw 2-2 with Brentford | OneFootball

For just the second time since March 2020, fans were in attendance at Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play. That day, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side came out on top in a 2-0 win over Manchester City.

The last home game of the 2020/21 season saw the return of fans, 14 months after that derby win. Only 10,000 people were in attendance to witness the 1-1 draw, compared to 30,000 today against Brentford.

In typical Manchester weather, the atmosphere was fitting of a Premier League game as Manchester United and Brentford played out a 2-2 draw.

Solskjaer opted for a similar team to the one which lost to Queens Park Rangers last week, with only two changes being made for the encounter. Juan Mata and Anthony Elanga took their place in the side, with the pair impressing.

It was the latter who got United going in the first half, scoring inside 12 minutes. Following a neat passage of play, which included touches from several players, Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross was perfectly met by Elanga.

Brentford found their way back into the game shortly after and the sides went into the half-time break level. Solskjaer made just one change during the interval as Brandon Williams made way for Diogo Dalot.

Just five minutes into the second half, Andreas Pereira produced a moment of magic to regain the lead for United. Jesse Lingard’s shot was saved by the Brentford goalkeeper before Pereira unleashed an unstoppable volley from outside the area.

It looked like United would get back to winning ways after Pereira’s world-class strike but a late equaliser from Brentford ensured that the newly-promoted side left Old Trafford with a draw.

Next up for United is a trip to Deepdale Stadium, where they will face Preston North End in their penultimate pre-season fixture.

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