Chapter 463 - 69 — Four Minutes II
Brentford broke and nearly finished the match in the eightieth minute.
Pinnock headed Antony’s cross away toward Maupay, who shielded it from Maguire and flicked it to Mbeumo before Demien could close him down.
Mbeumo carried into the space outside Evans, and Demien turned and sprinted through the center, guarding the pass back toward Maupay while Evans moved to meet Mbeumo directly.
Mbeumo waited for Onyeka’s late run and tried the inside pass, but Demien stretched and got a toe to it, the deflection running through to Hickey, who sent it long toward Maupay.
Dalot rose to head it back to Onana but couldn’t get clean contact, and Maupay reached the loose ball with Onana caught several yards outside his line, lifting a shot toward the far corner.
Onana retreated, sprang upward, and tipped it over the bar.
He landed and punched both gloves together, shouting at the defenders rather than folding under it.
Demien celebrated the save like a goal, pointing at Onana and shouting his approval before turning to organize the corner.
From it, Nørgaard rose above everyone and flicked it toward the far top corner, and Onana changed direction fast enough to get one hand above his head, pushing it over again.
Demien ran to him and struck his shoulder once. "Get the next one out quick."
United attacked again in the eighty-third minute before Brentford could reset, Onana’s quick throw finding Demien with Onyeka charging from behind, and Demien cushioned it forward, used his body to move across the challenge, and released Garnacho before Onyeka could catch him.
Garnacho drove at Roerslev and crossed low, Højlund blocked at the near post by Pinnock, the rebound falling to Martial, whose shot through the crowd was turned away by Ajer’s outstretched leg.
The ball ran to Demien outside the box, Nørgaard stepping up to deny the long shot, and Demien played it first time into Eriksen instead, keeping Brentford trapped rather than gambling on a strike.
Antony crossed toward Martial in the eighty-fifth minute, Martial flicking it across the six-yard box just beyond Højlund’s stretch, and Garnacho drove another ball into the crowd from the opposite side before Collins cleared it into touch.
Ten Hag called McTominay over near the warm-up area and spoke fast while the ball was out of play, pointing toward the space behind Højlund and Martial. "Their center-backs are watching both strikers. Nørgaard steps toward Demien whenever the ball reaches the edge of the box. You start outside it, delay, and attack the second ball once they commit to the first."
McTominay replaced Eriksen in the eighty-seventh minute, United’s final shape settling — Onana, Dalot, Maguire, Evans, Demien, Antony, Bruno, McTominay, Garnacho, Martial and Højlund.
"Ten Hag wants you arriving behind the strikers," McTominay told Demien as he jogged on.
Demien glanced toward the box, where Pinnock and Collins stood tight to Højlund and Martial. "Stay out of Nørgaard’s sight until the ball’s already moving."
United believed they’d equalized in the eighty-ninth minute, Demien moving it to Antony, Antony combining with Bruno to release Dalot into the channel, Dalot reaching the box and cutting it back for Martial, whose flick toward goal was turned into his own net by a stretching Ajer.
Old Trafford erupted.
Demien turned away from the goal and shouted toward the stands, McTominay grabbing Martial while substitutes sprinted toward the touchline.
The assistant’s flag went up.
VAR confirmed Martial had strayed offside before the cutback and interfered directly with Ajer’s attempt to clear.
Demien spun on the assistant, both arms spread. "He played the ball on purpose!"
"Martial’s position affected the defender’s action," the referee told him.
Demien dragged both hands over his hair and took a step toward him before Bruno grabbed his arm and pointed at the clock instead.
The fourth official raised the board — six minutes.
Demien stared at the number, his chest still heaving, and something in his expression shifted from fury to urgency, because there was still enough time.
Brentford restarted long toward Maupay.
Maguire won the header, and Demien reached the second ball ahead of Onyeka, releasing Antony to the right, only for Hickey to block his cut inside and force a throw.
United took it quickly.
In the first minute of stoppage time, Dalot received near the right corner of the box and shot through traffic, Strakosha getting down to push it away, Pinnock’s clearance falling to Garnacho on the far side, who drove it straight back across the box.
Ajer blocked it with his thigh, the deflection running out to Demien.
Nørgaard charged out, expecting the shot.
Demien let the ball roll across his body instead of killing it beneath him, and Nørgaard committed to the first touch and sailed past it, giving Demien room to take one touch into the edge of the box.
Højlund and Martial were both boxed in by three defenders, but McTominay had started several yards behind them, hidden from Collins by Martial’s body, and Demien saw the delayed run and drilled a hard pass through the narrow gap between Nørgaard and Pinnock.
McTominay controlled it with his right foot, Collins turning to close him, and shifted the ball away from the challenge before driving a low shot into the bottom-left corner before Strakosha could set himself.
Manchester United 1 — 1 Brentford Scott McTominay 90+3’ (Assist: Demien Walter)
「MATCH MISSION PROGRESS」 「Direct Goal Contributions: 1/2」
McTominay started running for the corner, and Demien caught him first, nearly knocking him off balance, grabbing the front of his shirt and shouting into his face because the delayed run had worked exactly as planned.
Højlund, Martial, Garnacho, and Bruno crashed into them, and Onana sprinted the length of the pitch before pulling up near halfway, still needing to guard his own goal.
Demien broke away from the pile almost immediately, grabbed McTominay’s arm, and pointed at the center circle, first to demand the restart, because a draw wasn’t enough.
Brentford tried to hold the ball near the touchline, Onyeka receiving with his back to United’s goal, Demien pressing in behind him while Garnacho blocked the lane to Roerslev.
Onyeka tried to roll away from the contact, but Demien used his strength to move across him and knocked the ball to Bruno without giving away the foul.
「TRAIT ACTIVATED」 「Ball Winner」
Bruno released Martial into the right channel, and Ajer clipped his ankle before he could enter the box, the referee pointing for a free kick near the edge of Brentford’s half.
Pinnock pointed his defenders into shape, Strakosha shouting for everyone to push out, Thomas Frank demanding concentration after watching the lead disappear.
Bruno stood over the ball first, and Demien joined him, studying the angle.
"Can you reach the far side from here?" Bruno asked.
"I don’t need the far side if McTominay goes early enough," Demien said.
Maguire drew Pinnock’s attention near the center of the box.
Højlund stood between Collins and Ajer.
Martial held his position closer to Strakosha.
McTominay waited outside the main cluster, level with the edge of the box, and Nørgaard’s eyes stayed fixed on Demien rather than checking the run developing behind him.
The referee blew.
Maguire attacked the near post, dragging Pinnock with him.
Højlund crossed in front of Collins, pulling the defender toward the center.
McTominay delayed one beat, then broke into the space opening beyond them, and Demien curled the free kick over Brentford’s first line straight into his path.
「STATS ACTIVE」 「Long Passing: 99 | Curve: 99 | Composure: 99」
McTominay stayed level with Ajer until the ball left Demien’s foot, then attacked the drop and headed it down toward the far corner.
Strakosha got one hand to it but couldn’t keep it from crossing the line.
Manchester United 2 — 1 Brentford Scott McTominay 90+7’ (Assist: Demien Walter)
「MATCH MISSION PROGRESS」 「Direct Goal Contributions: 2/2」
McTominay vanished under Højlund, Martial, Bruno, and Garnacho, and Demien threw himself onto the pile rather than stopping outside it.
Onana sprinted the length of the pitch to join them, and Ten Hag left his technical area, punching the air until a member of staff hauled him back before he reached the corner flag himself.
Strakosha stayed down on one knee inside his own goal.
Pinnock stood with both hands pressed to his head.
Nørgaard turned toward the assistant, hoping for a flag that never came.
Thomas Frank stared at the stadium clock before waving his players back to halfway.
Brentford touched the restart backward once, and the referee blew for full time.
Fweeeeeetttttttt! Fweeeeeetttttttt! Fweeeeeetttttttt!
Manchester United 2 — 1 Brentford Jensen 26’ — McTominay 90+3’, 90+7’
Demien bent forward with both hands on his knees, dragging in one deep breath after carrying the base of midfield through the entire second half, and McTominay grabbed him from the side and hauled him upright.
Demien laughed, grabbed the sides of McTominay’s face, and shouted that he’d scored twice in four minutes, and McTominay, breathing too hard and laughing too much, couldn’t get a proper answer out.
Onana approached more carefully.
Demien looked at him for one beat, the first-half mistake still sitting there somewhere, then struck both his gloves and pulled him into the group anyway.
DEMIEN WALTER Assists: 2 | Clear Chances Created: 5 | Line-Breaking Actions: 9 Defensive Recoveries: 5 | Pass Completion: 93%
"McTominay is the story here," the commentator said, "but it’s Demien’s move into the deepest midfield role at halftime that gave United the control and the deliveries that made this comeback possible."
「MATCH MISSION COMPLETE」 「Clear Chances Created: 5/4」 「Line-Breaking Actions: 9/6」 「Defensive Recoveries: 5/3」 「Direct Goal Contributions: 2/2」 「Bonus Objective — Win Before the International Break: Complete」 「Reward: +65 MP」 「Bonus Reward: +5 SP」
Demien noticed the Special Point reward for half a second before McTominay pulled him toward the Stretford End, and the panel closed on its own, because nothing about it mattered more than the stadium right now.
The Old Trafford announcer named Scott McTominay as the scorer of both stoppage-time goals, and the crowd kept chanting his name long after the announcement finished.
McTominay finally pulled free of the group, shirt untucked, grass streaked across one shoulder, and Demien stayed beside him as they started for the tunnel.
A broadcast staff member stepped into their path, pointing toward the pitchside interview area and raising his voice over the noise.
"Scott. Demien. Don’t go inside yet — the cameras want both of you."