Manchester United slumped to a 3-1 loss to Brentford on Saturday afternoon, with memories of the previous week’s win over Chelsea rapidly disintegrating.
It was a tough afternoon for Man United, who got the game off to a bright start only to concede twice in quick succession.
While the defence managed to tighten up in the second half, United were unable to find another goal in order to rescue a point.
Despite the match being filled with negatives, one player who produced a hopeful display was striker Benjamin Sesko.
Making his mark
Undoubtedly United’s best player on the day, Sesko was relentless in front of goal, desperately fighting to get his name on the scoresheet.
The striker took six shots, four of which were on target.
Although he missed two big chances, he more than made up for it in the 26th minute when he found the back of the net with a powerful header. Sesko did well to position himself to pounce on a rebound that came from a save by the Brentford keeper.
Sesko’s aerial game was decent. He won three of six duels, although he lost his only ground duel of the match.
However, there were some areas where Sesko will surely look to improve.
Progress needed
With 26 touches throughout the match, only nine of Sesko’s 16 passes found their mark (56% accuracy).
Still, the blame cannot be put squarely on the striker, given that his teammates were often marked and did not do enough to free themselves and go into space.
Interestingly, he performed two clearances, helping to support his defence as well.
Ultimately, it was a positive performance by Sesko, who showed grit and determination up front to score his first United goal.
The club will be hoping that he can replicate this performance in games to come.
Featured image Richard Pelham via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
