David De Gea came to Manchester United’s rescue again with a series of important saves in the first half of their Premier League match against Brentford.
Bees midfielder Mathias Jensen was twice denied by De Gea in the opening 45 minutes.
Early in the match, during a period of intense Brentford pressure, Jensen was played clean through on goal but saw his low shot saved by the foot of De Gea.
Brentford saw another opportunity go begging later in the half, with De Gea again saving well with his feet.
Thomas Frank’s side broke quickly from a Manchester United corner, with striker Ivan Toney playing Jensen in for another shot on goal.
But the Denmark international was denied again by De Gea to the frustration of the home supporters.
De Gea made another smart save in the closing stages of the half to keep out a well-struck volley from Toney, who was flagged for offside.
De Gea’s heroics ensured Manchester United would go in at the break level after a lacklustre first-half performance.
His saves would prove to be crucial, with Manchester United going on to win 3-1 thanks to goals from Anthony Elanga, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford.
Spain international De Gea has arguably been United’s player of the season so far after a string of impressive performances in goal.
Speaking earlier this month, interim manager Ralf Rangnick was full of praise for De Gea and compared him to Bayern Munich stalwart Manuel Neuer.
“Well, I think they are both definitely on the list of the top five goalkeepers in the world, maybe even in the top three," said Rangnick.
“They are both in a fantastic shape, physically and as well as on the line, when it’s about controlling the box, David de Gea is probably one of the best if not the best in the world and we are very happy to have him.”
Featured Image Credit: Alamy & BT SportTopics: Manchester United, Brentford, Football, Premier League, David De Gea
Rory O'Callaghan