Manchester United fans have been learning to embrace the chaos this season with Erik ten Hag’s wide-open tactical blueprint proving the perfect recipe for excitement and entertainment, more so for neutrals.

With many of United’s fixtures often described as being ‘like basketball matches’, nine of their last ten Premier League contests featured at least three goals, while their mesmerising seven-goal FA Cup clash with Liverpool last time out was also in keeping with that thrilling trend.

United are unlikely to change at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday night and with Brentford scrapping for their lives near the foot of the table, goals are likely to be on the agenda again.

Like their visitors, the Bees have been one of the division’s more entertaining outfits this term, especially on home soil, where a huge 11 of their last 12 league matches have seen over 2.5 goals, with the net bulging 3.91 times per 90 minutes there overall.

With that eye-catching record offering inspiration, backing over 2.5 goals to land is the way to go again here, while adding United to your bet builder with a +1.0 goal handicap could also be a savvy play.

Brentford – who are still missing several key defenders through injury – have shipped 17 goals in their last six home games alone and their leakiness at the back could be exploited again.

Marcus Rashford’s overall performances are still hot and cold, however, the 26-year-old did manage to register an accurate attempt in ten of his last 13 outings for United. The winger found his range with one of three efforts against Brentford in October and he can threaten the Bees with his pace again.

Skipper Bruno Fernandes meanwhile, has failed to get a strike on target in only two of his last ten appearances for his club and the Portuguese lodged a game-high four shots when United beat Brentford at Old Trafford in October.

Manchester United haven’t been masters of many metrics this season, though their Premier League fixtures have seen more corners than anyone else’s this term with an average of 13.29 of them awarded per top-flight test involving the Red Devils since August.

Brentford’s matches have featured a middling 10.45 corners per game on average in comparison and 12 corners were won by both teams combined when the Bees lost in stoppage time at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign.

While Erik ten Hag’s side have been performing well in the corner-winning department in 2023/24, ranking 6th in the division for total corners won (175), it’s their concession of the set pieces at the other end that has been pushing their overall numbers up.

Incredibly, only doomed Sheffield United (7.36) have conceded more corners per Premier League skirmish than Man Utd have (7.04), as the Red Devils continue to invite pressure from opponents.

Brentford have been collecting 2.44 cards per Premier League fixture this season, though they bucked their average considerably at Old Trafford in October when they had five players booked.

The Bees committed 17 fouls that afternoon and their aggressive approach almost paid dividends before they conceded twice in stoppage time. Having come close on that occasion, Thomas Frank is likely to send his troops out with instructions to be as combative as possible again in Saturday’s rematch and backing Brentford to amass over 1.5 cards again appeals as a result.

Frank Onyeka stands out as a prime candidate in the fouls markets. The holding midfielder has committed at least one foul in 15 of his last 19 Premier League appearances and he should have plenty of work to get through again on Saturday, especially in the absence of injured team-mate, and serial fouler, Christian Nørgaard.

For United, the much-improved Diogo Dalot looks like a head-turner in the 1+ fouls stakes at 1.33. The Portuguese full back has been fouling at a rate of 2.20 times per Premier League appearance this season.

In 25 Premier League starts this season, Dalot has let a game pass him by without fouling only six times, so back the 25-year-old to make his presence felt again.