Manchester United could equal unwanted 35-year record vs Brentford unless they fix biggest problem

Manchester United will be in danger of equalling an unwanted 35-year record when they welcome Brentford to Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.

United will resume their Premier League campaign following the October international break with the ambition of halting a five-game winless run. Erik ten Hag's side signed off for the hiatus with a goalless draw at Aston Villa, meaning they won just two out of seven matches between the first and second international break of the campaign.

To add to their woes, the stalemate with Villa, which would not have been considered as a bad result had United's overall level of form been much better, marked a third successive league game without a goal. United drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace and Villa either side of a 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

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United, who are currently 14th in the standings, have been heavily criticised for their goalscoring troubles so far this season amid their tally of just five goals from their opening seven league outings. Only Southampton have scored fewer (four).

Should United fail to find the net this weekend, it will mark the first time they will have failed to score in four successive league games in 35 years. That run, which was in the old First Division in April 1989, saw United fail to score against Millwall (0-0), Derby County (0-2), Charlton Athletic (0-1) and Coventry City (0-1).

United finished the 1988/89 season 11th in the table under Sir Alex Ferguson, marking a big drop-off from the second-place they had achieved the previous season.