Manchester United’s Under-21s beat Brentford U21s 3-2 at Leigh Sports Village on Friday night, making it three wins from three in Premier League 2 and leaving Adam Lawrence’s side as the only team in the division with a 100% record.
The win came with JJ Gabriel absent, reportedly in Spain to speak with Barcelona following his decision to leave Manchester United, according to The Peoples Person. The story of Gabriel’s exit request has dominated academy headlines this week, and his push to leave United means the 15-year-old’s absence was the first thing anyone at Leigh Sports Village wanted to talk about.
How the game unfolded
🔴 Follow Stretty News on Google as a preferred source and be first with every United update.
United dominated possession for long spells but struggled to find a way past a compact Brentford backline. Against the run of play, Isaac Holland put the visitors ahead in the 20th minute, finishing a cutback after a well-worked move down the right.
United levelled in first-half stoppage time through Amir Ibragimov, who finished from 16 yards after a counter-attack started by Harry Amass and carried forward by Yuel Helafu. Samuel Lusale, making his first appearance of the season, was forced off with a knee problem on the half-hour and replaced by Bendito Mantato.
Helafu’s deflected effort put United ahead for the first time in the 63rd minute, and Victor Musa made it 3-1 in the 76th, finishing first-time from Jack Fletcher’s pass. Holland grabbed a second for Brentford late on, but it proved too little too late as United held on for the points.
Squad management and the bigger picture
Harry Amass and Tyler Fletcher both dropped down to the U21s having been unused substitutes for the first team in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup exit, a reminder of how closely Lawrence’s group works with the senior setup. That link between the academy and the first team has been a consistent theme under Michael Carrick, and his backing of the club’s development pathway continues to shape how young players are rotated between the two squads.
The three points leave United second in Premier League 2 heading into the international break, behind Southampton on games played rather than results. It is the latest step in a strong start to the season for the academy side, following on from Ibragimov’s earlier contributions in United’s opening league win, and Brentford’s own account of the game, via the club’s official matchday report, credited United with controlling most of the second half despite the scoreline staying close until the final whistle.
| Minute | Scorer | Team | Score |
| 20′ | Isaac Holland | Brentford | 0-1 |
| 45+4′ | Amir Ibragimov | Man Utd | 1-1 |
| 63′ | Yuel Helafu | Man Utd | 2-1 |
| 76′ | Victor Musa | Man Utd | 3-1 |
| Late | Isaac Holland | Brentford | 3-2 |