• Man Utd moved away from Liverpool and Villa in the race for the UCL spot

• Red Devils beat the Bees 2-1 with goals from Casemiro and Sesko

• Brentford still remain in contention of qualifying in Europe

Third-placed Manchester United put some daylight between themselves and chasing Liverpool and Aston Villa with a clinical 2-1 win at home to Brentford in the Premier League on Monday.

United moved three points above their rivals and took a significant step toward ensuring Champions League football next season for the first time since 2024.

Casemiro, just weeks before his departure from the club, made his mark early by sneaking in at the back post to head United into the lead after 11 minutes. This marked his 11th headed goal since joining United in August 2022, a record only surpassed by Erling Haaland (18), Ollie Watkins (16), and Chris Wood (13).

While Brentford matched the hosts in an entertaining first half, it was United that doubled their advantage just before the break. Benjamin Sesko capitalized on a simple pass from Bruno Fernandes to finish off a swift counterattack, ensuring the talismanic midfielder secured his 19th assist of the season, a league high, and just one shy of equaling the Premier League record.

“Me and Bruno Fernandes work a lot on the training pitch and it is paying off,” Sesko remarked. “Knowing I have a teammate with this quality is a pleasure and I have to use it.”

The second half saw both teams create chances, though Brentford was notably wasteful in front of goal. Mathias Jensen’s long-range strike in the 87th minute provided some hope for the visitors, but United managed to hold on for another disappointing result for Keith Andrews’ side.

“Bitterly disappointed,” Andrews told the BBC. “Overall, our performance was very good. As a collective, we went toe to toe with a good side and controlled large parts of the game. They were simply more clinical than us.”

Brentford remained in ninth place, tied on points with Chelsea and Fulham, but has not celebrated a league win since February. Nevertheless, the team’s aspirations for European qualification remain intact, and Andrews expressed optimism for the future.

“There is absolute belief in everything we do,” Andrews added. “We are not playing safe; I don’t want us to be that team. We set up in a brave fashion against a top team tonight, and unfortunately, we couldn’t quite get there.”