Marcus Rashford makes the difference as Manchester United see off Brentford

Erik ten Hag stated that “the campaign really begins in April and May” then watched as Manchester United’s second Premier League outing of this two-month mini-season ended in August’s 4-0 hammering at Brentford being avenged.

Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Newcastle was written up as Eddie Howe’s side having rebounded admirably from Carabao Cup final defeat to Ten Hag’s men (by the same margin) by racking up a third consecutive three points. Now, the wisdom went, it was United’s turn to wobble, that reverse making it zero goals and only one point since the Wembley triumph.

Not any more: Marcus Rashford’s first-half finish was enough for United to again enjoy victory in the competition, the previous time being here, against Leicester, on 19 February, a relative age ago.

With a match in hand over Tottenham, who United have now leapfrogged, Ten Hag’s team are favourites to seal a Champions League berth, but it will be tight.

Under the Old Trafford lights there was an attractive zip about United. Two corners, each taken by Luke Shaw, pinned Brentford back in what signalled far more promising fare than any offered on Tyneside.

Poorer, though, was how Diogo Dalot punched the ball straight out when hoping to find Shaw as the Bees’ frontline of Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo pressured United’s intent to play out from near David de Gea’s goal.

Dalot did far better when making a dash into opposite area: he would have connected with Bruno Fernandes’s diagonal pass if not for a diving Ben Mee clearance, the Portuguese taking up a classic position for a No 9, where Ten Hag had fielded Marcus Rashford as Wout Weghorst was dropped for the first time since his mid-January arrival.

Toney has the tools to enhance any of the traditional top-six sides.