United ease pressure on Ten Hag, Spurs run riot

LONDON: Manchester United eased the pressure on beleaguered boss Erik ten Hag as they fought back to beat Brentford 2-1, while Tottenham Hotspur got back on track with a 4-1 rout of West Ham United on Saturday.
Ten Hag had defiantly slammed “fairy tales and lies” about his United future on Friday as the Dutchman insisted he was not in danger of the sack.
But the 54-year-old is widely believed to be fighting to save his job after presiding over United’s worst start to a top-flight season since 1989-90.
Ten Hag was surely teetering on the brink of being dismissed after Brentford pounced to take the lead in first-half stoppage time when Ethan Pinnock met a corner with a powerful header.
The goal sparked a furious reaction from Ten Hag, who was booked for protesting about Matthijs de Ligt’s enforced absence to have treatment on a bloodied head wound.
But Alejandro Garnacho started United’s revival in the 47th minute as the Argentinian met Marcus Rashford’s angled pass with a superb volley into the top corner.
And Rasmus Hojlund bagged the decisive second goal in the 62nd minute, taking Bruno Fernandes’ clever flick and clipping a composed finish over Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
United’s first win in six games in all competitions was only their third victory in eight Premier League matches this term.
They sit 10th in the table ahead of an intriguing week, featuring a Europa League trip to Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce and a visit to West Ham.
Tottenham scored three goals in eight second-half minutes against the Hammers to ease the pain of their recent collapse in a 3-2 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Mohammed Kudus’ opener for West Ham was cancelled out before the break by Dejan Kulusevski.
Tottenham ran riot after the interval thanks to Yves Bissouma’s strike, an own goal from West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and a fourth from Son Heung-min.
It was a third win in four league games for Ange Postecoglou’s men, heaping pressure on new West Ham coach Julen Lopetegui after his side’s spluttering start to the season.
“Second half was outstanding from the lads — good energy, good goals, good football,” Postecoglou said.
Brighton moved up to fifth place with a 1-0 victory at Newcastle United on a day of mixed emotions for Danny Welbeck, who scored the 35th-minute winner but was later stretchered off with a back injury that left him needing an oxygen mask.
Leicester City staged a stirring fightback to snatch a dramatic 3-2 victory at winless Southampton.
Cameron Archer struck in the eighth minute before Joe Aribo’s 28th-minute goal increased the lead for the bottom-of-the-table hosts.
But Leicester’s Facundo Buonanotte bundled home in the 64th minute before Ryan Fraser was sent off for conceding a penalty with a foul on Jamie Vardy.
Vardy stroked in the 74th-minute leveller from the spot and Jordan Ayew drilled into the bottom corner in the eighth minute of stoppage-time.
Fourth-placed Aston Villa extended their unbeaten run to nine matches in all competitions with a 3-1 win at Fulham.
Raul Jimenez netted in the fifth minute, but Villa’s Morgan Rogers equalised four minutes later.
Andreas Pereira had a penalty saved by Villa ‘keeper Emiliano Martinez before the interval.
Ollie Watkins’ 59th-minute header completed the comeback and Fulham’s Joachim Andersen was sent off for a professional foul on the Villa striker five minutes later.
Issa Diop’s 69th-minute own-goal sealed the win, although Villa had Jaden Philogene sent off for two yellow cards in three minutes.
Everton clinched their first away win in 16 games in all competitions with a 2-0 victory against Ipswich Town.
Iliman Ndiaye fired into the top corner in the 17th minute and Michael Keane doubled Everton’s lead in the 40th minute to leave fourth-bottom Ipswich without a win in eight league games.
On Sunday, Liverpool, currently in pole position, host sixth-placed Chelsea, while champions Manchester City travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2024