Manchester United are one step away from officially sealing their return to the Champions League following their 2-1 win against Brentford at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Goals from Casemiro and Benjamin Sesko sealed the deal for the Red Devils despite an underwhelming performance on the night.
The Bees looked the better team, and did create quite a few chances, but ultimately, the hosts held on to tighten their grip on third place.
Michael Carrick deserves plaudits for the turnaround in the team’s form in such a short span of time, and INEOS have an easy choice in the summer regarding the vacant managerial position.
Harry Maguire returned to action in style
The caretaker head coach made two changes on the night, including a return to action for Harry Maguire after serving a suspension.
And the England international put in another heroic performance, dominating inside both boxes while also registering an assist for Casemiro’s goal.
The 20-time English league champions certainly missed him in recent games, and apart from one error in the second half, the former skipper was imperious.
stats via sofascore
He won all his ground duels and lost only one aerial duel. The 33-year-old made nine clearances in total, and recovered the ball on three occasions.
Imperious in defence, classy in attack
He made a total of 12 defensive contributions, including winning one tackle while blocking one shot bravely with his head.
The former Leicester City ace was class with the ball at his feet, registering an 89 percent passing accuracy, while creating one big chance and playing one key pass.
Six of his long balls found their mark, while he came close to scoring from two headers, one in each half, with his first one cleared off the line (all stats via sofascore).
With Lisandro Martinez suspended and Matthijs de Ligt still out injured, Carrick will be counting on Harry Maguire to keep his good form up for the rest of the season.
A new short-term deal and helping the club return to the Champions League, Harry Maguire is certainly vindicating the club’s faith in him.
Feature image Naomi Bakervia Getty Images
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