Manchester United v Brentford: Premier League – live

 LIVE – Updated at 22:04

Minute-by-minute report: Join Daniel Harris for all the latest updates from Old Trafford as the Bees come to town.

On the ball – guess the footballer

22:04

The Guardian has kicked off a new chapter in puzzles with the launch of its first daily football game, On the ball. It is now live in the app for both iOS and Android … so what are you waiting for?

22:03

“Fun game,” reckons Dean Kinsella. “Utd’s HR dept should be working night and day to find a way to keep Casemiro one more season. That was a brilliant performance.”

I’m sure everyone at United would want him to stay in an ideal world, but his lack of legs are one reason they struggle to control game, and I imagine the idea is to replace him with someone who enables that. They’ll miss his presence and, amazingly, his goals, but he’d cost too much to be a reserve if they only signed one midfielder as a consequence, an injury or suspension to him and they’d be back to where they are now.

22:01

Carrick’s United are getting really good at doing enough to win. I don’t think it’s sustainable, but assuming the summer signings improve them it won’t need to be.

22:00

“I’m sorry but I can’t take seriously a selection that places Terry ahead of Campbell or King (and I’ve no north London affiliations),” chides Geoff Wignall. “Terry was OK, even effective within his very marked limits; but he basically owed his career to Ashley Cole, who allowed him to get away with operating as a square on centre back.”

Yeah, I don’t agree with that – Terry was excellent before Chelsea even signed Cole. I agree Campbell and King were excellent, but the latter did nowhere near enough to feature, sadly, while the former wasn’t as good with his feet, though he was faster and stronger.

21:57

I really enjoy Keith Andrews’ Brentford – more so than Thomas Frank’s, I think, because they play with a bit more enterprise and freedom. If they can hang on to their better players – though they’ve shown us they don’t even need to – they can be even more competitive next season.

FULL TIME: Manchester United 2-1 Brentford

21:55

United do just enough in a really fun game, cementing themselves in third place; they’re maximum two points away from the Champions League, while Brentford remain eighth.

21:54

90+6 min … and again, Casemiro purchases a free-kick, getting in front then falling over when the inevitable hand feathers his shoulder.

21:53

90+5 min Gary Neville names Casemiro player of the match and I can’t argue with that. What a player he’s been. but there’s more work for him to do yet, Kayode now on the left to fling into the box. It’s now or not at all…

21:52

90+4 min Damsgaard scoops one in behind but Nelson, racing towards the by-line, can only help the ball over it, Casemiro there to make sure.

WHAT A GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Brentford (Jensen 88)

21:52

Livener! Nelson feeds it across to Jensen who, 20 yards out and just right of centre, unleashes a venomous outswinger that shrieks and hisses in off the far post, two-thirds of the way up, Lammens slow to react. Eyes down for a tense final few!

21:51

90+3 min Casemiro leaps, makes sure to go down in a challenge with Collins, and buys the free-kick.

21:50

90+2 min …which United clear. Zirkzee is then booked, after which Brentford win a throw, Kayode to hurl in

21:50

90+1 min We’ll have five additional minutes; Zirkzee in on for Sesko and Brentford win a corner

21:49

90 min Outtara has tie to pick a cross and he flights a lovely, flat ball into the middle, and Damsgaard is up, running across Casemiro … he heads firmly … but straight at Lammens

21:47

89 min We said earlier on that Lammens’ principal weakness is in dealing with long shots and, though he saw that one late, he didn’t move until it was almost past him.

21:45

86 min Brentford win a corner and United clear the first ball…

21:44

86 min “Just a couple bits about your All-Time Man Utd PL team,” writes Will Harris-Brown. “Jaap Stam was a top defender for a bit, but the mythos has made him this world conquerer despite not much to back it up. Vidic won two player of the year awards, hes was the only defender to do it even once (before Ruben Dias somehow won it over Harry Kane that year) and is undoubtedly the better of the baldy hard men duo.

Secondly, and this is more of a tactical objection, with Irwin as your right back, you have left-footers at both full back positions and no width in midfield. With Giggs and Ronado as your wingers, was your plan just to completely overload the left side of the pitch and forget about the other?”

Irwin was two-footed – he only moved to the left when Parker was signed – while Stam was quicker than Vidic and better on the ball, though not as good at stopping attacks before they started.