Erik ten Hag was full of praise for his Manchester United side after they secured a 1-0 victory over Brentford at Old Trafford. The Red Devils went fourth in the Premier League table thanks to Marcus Rashford’s first-half strike, and the manager was delighted with the performance of his players.
Ten Hag praised the “passion and desire” of his team, noting that the opening goal was crucial in securing the win. He said: “We showed great passion and desire to win the game. The first goal was very important and it gave us the platform to go on and win the game.”
The Dutchman was also pleased with the way his side defended, as they managed to keep a clean sheet against a Brentford side who had scored in all of their previous Premier League matches this season. He said: “We defended very well and kept a clean sheet which was very important. We knew Brentford were a dangerous side and we had to be on our toes defensively.”
Ten Hag also praised the performance of Rashford, who scored the decisive goal with a powerful header from a Bruno Fernandes cross. He said: “Marcus is a fantastic player and he showed his quality today. He is always looking to get forward and score goals and he did that today.”
The win saw Manchester United move up to fourth in the Premier League table, and Ten Hag believes his side are now in a good position to challenge for a top-four finish. He said: “We are in a good position now and we have to keep pushing forward and try to get as high up the table as we can. We are confident that we can achieve our objectives this season.”
The result was a welcome boost for Manchester United, and Ten Hag will be hoping his side can continue their good form when they face West Bromwich Albion next weekend. Fans can watch highlights of the game on BBC iPlayer’s Match of the Day, available to UK users only.