Schade extended Brentford's advantage with a second header from close range, this time from a Bryan Mbeumo assist, and the home side added a fourth when Michael Kayode carved through the United defence and set up Yoane Wissa for a composed finish. Garnacho briefly revived United's hopes with a stunning long-range strike, and Amad Diallo made it 4-3 deep into added time, setting up a tense finale. But Brentford held on to secure a crucial win, moving up to ninth in the table, just a point behind eighth-placed Bournemouth. United, meanwhile, remain stuck in 15th with 39 points from 35 games.
United manager Ruben Amorim had heavily rotated his squad ahead of their Europa League semi-final second leg against Athletic Bilbao, with only three players retained from the previous match. But the biggest concern emerged when De Ligt, recently returned from injury, went down clutching his hamstring in the build-up to Brentford's second goal. The Dutchman's discomfort was clear as he left the pitch and headed straight down the tunnel, casting doubt over his availability for the remainder of the season. Amorim admitted post-match that while the immediate priority was Thursday's semi-final, he was more worried about the long-term implications of De Ligt's injury, especially with United already missing key defenders Lisandro Martinez and Diogo Dalot.
For Brentford, the win not only snapped their winless streak but also reinforced their momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. With Schade becoming the third Brentford player to reach double figures in Premier League goals—something no other club has achieved this season—the Bees have found attacking rhythm at the perfect time. Their 62 goals rank among the league's best, only trailing Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Arsenal. With upcoming fixtures against Ipswich, Fulham, and Wolves, Brentford's favorable run-in could see them qualify for Europe for the first time since their Anglo-Italian Cup outing in 1992. With this kind of form, few would bet against them.
