Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty for the second time this season as Manchester United were beaten 3-1 by Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The spot kick followed a clumsy tug from Nathan Collins on Bryan Mbeumo in the 71st minute after Igor Thiago had struck twice in the first half. Almost five minutes passed before Fernandes was allowed to take the penalty. The delay, attributed to VAR and Brentford substitutions, appeared to affect the set piece and Caoimhin Kelleher saved a low effort to his left.

Kelleher has saved an impressive four of the seven penalties he has faced in his senior career, a statistic that underlined why the save was not entirely surprising.

This season alone, the Portuguese playmaker has missed two spot kicks, as many as the rest of the Premier League combined. Since Fernandes’s debut in the competition in February 2020, Mohamed Salah has been wayward with a surprisingly high five attempts, a tally matched by Aleksandar Mitrović while James Ward-Prowse has squandered four spot kicks.

Fernandes arrived at Old Trafford with a strong record from 12 yards, converting 13 of his first 14 in the competition with a deceptive hopping technique. He has acknowledged the need to adapt his routine. “When you take so many penalties, then you need to change, because the goalkeepers start looking at you, studying you,” he mused earlier this year. “I feel more comfortable doing the jump and waiting for the goalkeeper to make a decision. I think this is the more accurate one,” he explained. “But if I have to change it, I do it differently, to not give anything away to them.”

United’s squad includes two players with perfect career penalty records. Mason Mount has scored both of his efforts and Benjamin Šeško is yet to miss from 11 attempts. Šeško was the last outfield player to take a penalty during United’s shootout against Grimsby Town last month after suffering cramp, and he scored. Now it may be time for Ruben Amorim to make a change of his own.

Ruben Amorim admitted Manchester United had worked on defending long balls in training, yet those very scenarios cost his side in a 3–1 home defeat to Brentford. United’s defending looked generous on both occasions that led to Brentford goals. Igor Thiago profited when Harry Maguire’s attempt to spring an offside trap failed, and Matthijs de Ligt was left beaten by a long ball over the top.

Benjamin Šeško’s strike gave United hope when he scored their first goal, but Bruno Fernandes missed a second-half penalty and United were unable to recover. Mathias Jensen sealed the win in stoppage time with a swerving shot that beat Altay Bayındır, who the report suggested could have done better in goal.

Amorim did not hide his frustration after the match. “It’s always the same to lose at this club, it hurts a lot,” Amorim reflected after the game. “We need to think about the next one.

“Of course we want to win. We didn’t control the game. We played the game of Brentford. First balls, second balls, set-pieces. All the crucial moments were against us. It’s tough to lose again but we need to think about the next one.

“The first goal was a long ball. We worked on that in the week, and on set pieces. We knew the long balls were coming and one touch they had the opportunity. We need to do better.

“We didn’t play our game. We only had control for some moments. But it was more or less all the same. We need to play our games, not the opponents’, but they were stronger on that.“

The defeat leaves United with just two wins from their opening six matches of the season. An earlier exit from the Carabao Cup, a defeat to League Two promotion hopefuls Grimsby Town, has added to the club’s concerns. Brentford moved ahead of United in the Premier League table, with Igor Thiago now only trailing Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.

Manchester United’s defensive collapse at the Gtech Community Stadium left them trailing and ultimately defeated in a 3-1 loss to Brentford. An early unsettlement left United two goals down inside 20 minutes and the damage proved decisive. Mathias Jensen’s late rocket compounded the visitors’ misery and ensured Brentford sealed the win.

There was an added subplot around Amorim. A win would have given him back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time and followed his successive home wins that included victory over Chelsea last weekend. Instead, Amorim watched his side’s confidence evaporate as they were sliced open repeatedly in the opening stages, with the coach forced to assess how his team would respond.

United fielded their new-look front three together for the first time this season. Over £200 million ($267.7 million) of talent led the line in west London. Benjamin Šeško reduced Brentford’s lead and opened his account for his new employers, firing home from close range with his fifth attempt of the first 26 minutes. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo both looked lively when receiving possession in pockets, and Cunha was United’s leading attacking threat after the restart. A move down the right produced a cross that resulted in a penalty after Mbeumo was dragged to the turf. Bruno Fernandes was unable to convert from 12 yards for the second time this season.

Set pieces and direct play proved United’s undoing. Amorim had his side on extensive set-piece defence practice during the warm-up at the Gtech, but it had zero impact on United’s ability to counter Brentford’s direct approach. Long balls allowed Thiago to net an early brace, with even the aerially dominant Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire overpowered. Michael Kayode’s long throws and Mikkel Damsgaard’s corner deliveries repeatedly tested United, forcing Altay Bayındır into action between the home side’s first-half strikes.

The defeat leaves United 12th in the Premier League and they could finish Gameweek 6 as low as 17th. The defensive issues will demand answers as the season progresses.