Premier League winners and losers: All hail Arsenal’s set piece kings after Gabriel’s header breathes life into title race as patience with Ruben Amorim wears thin amid Man Utd shambles

Manchester United fans heading to struggling Brentford hoped that they were at last about to record back-to-back wins for the first time and build some momentum heading towards the international break. But the Red Devils left west London nursing a third defeat in six games and with many wondering when Ruben Amorim would be sacked.

There were so many things wrong with United’s performance. They conceded both goals via long balls, something Amorim said the team had worked on all week. They also struggled to create much against a team that had the third-worst defensive record heading into the weekend. And when they did get a golden opportunity to level from the penalty spot, Bruno Fernandes was denied.

While sacking Amorim seems like the obvious solution, given he has shown little sign of being able to turn United around nearly one year into the job, firing the coach that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his fellow directors have put so much faith in would be hugely embarrassing for the club. Whatever Ratcliffe chooses to do, there is no escaping the fact that United are a shambles. 

“I don’t recognise the whole football club,” said all-time top scorer Wayne Rooney. “I don’t see players fighting, I don’t see character, I don’t see desire to win. I go to a game watching, expecting, here we go again – expecting the team to lose or maybe pick up a point.”