Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Harry Amass really caught the eye on Manchester United's pre-season tour of the United States.

When Erik ten Hag picked him to start against Liverpool in South Carolina and go head-to-head against Mo Salah, it looked to be a rehearsal for an introduction to the senior squad on his return given United had no authentic left-back.

But even though Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are still injured, Amass has been nowhere to be seen.

It is fair to say the 17-year-old would be a gamble. But given Jack Fletcher is on the bench at the same age, it seems strange Ten Hag has not offered Amass the same opportunity.

Image source, Reuters

We are under way in the scheduled 3pm kick-offs - albeit not at Portman Road, where Ipswich Town v Everton has been delayed due to IT issues effecting the turnstiles.

Before kick-off, the players take the knee as part of the Premier League's No Room for Racism initiative this weekend.

• Everton have gone four consecutive Premier League matches without a win against Ipswich since a 1-0 victory at Portman Road in May 1995, when Paul Rideout was on target against the already relegated Suffolk side.
• The Toffees’ most recent victory against the Tractor Boys came in the FA Cup fourth round on 23 January 1999, with Nick Barmby scoring the only goal at Goodison Park despite team-mate Marco Materazzi being sent off.
• The 10 Premier League encounters have produced four wins apiece and two draws.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter at Old Trafford

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag condemned media reporting of his potential demise yesterday, accusing journalists of creating 'fairytales and lies' around his position.

Yet he also knows 14th in the Premier League is not good enough for a club of United's stature.

It is something he must change if he is to get a chance to build on his first two seasons at Old Trafford.

And for that to happen, he needs United to start scoring.

Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo has scored more Premier League goals on his own so far this season that United's five. No United player has scored more than two.

"We have to start scoring," Ten Hag said in his press conference yesterday. "That part is the most important part in football if you want to win games.

"That part we have to improve, we are entering the final third, the box, we are coming in good positions to score but now the most important part is to net."

Fara Williams
Former England midfielder on Football Focus

Image source, Getty Images

On Erik ten Hag's chances of success at Man Utd...

It's hard to see, based on what we've seen so far. The club would have had some discussions during the international break and they've decided to stick with him. That would've been the time they could've moved him on.

Let's see if they can stick together and get the players performing. They are creating enough chances, but they need to start converting them. They need to be more clinical.

Today is a great opportunity for Man Utd because Brentford's away form isn't great. It will be good to get back from the international break and get the three points.

I was at this game last season and Brentford scored early, but Scott McTominay found the net twice in stoppage time to nick a win for Manchester United when they did not deserve anything from the game.

This time? Well, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag needs a win, with his side 14th in the table and the joint-second lowest scorers with five goals from seven league games.

Logic tells me that, while Brentford are yet to pick up an away point so far, they are the better team, and have been the better team all season.

We also know the Bees still love an early goal, so they will probably take the lead again... but I just have a gut feeling that United will edge this one again, somehow.

I can’t really tell you why, other than they have to, and also because Statman Dave said this would be 2-1 to Manchester United, so I am taking his advice. Hopefully he is better with his predictions than he is with his stats.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Newcastle are a funny old side. They drew to Manchester City a few weeks back, but then followed it up with a stalemate against strugglers Everton.

Brighton are hoping to build from their stunning comeback win over Tottenham before the international break.

A win today could take the Seagulls into the top four. Fabian Hurzeler side have lost just once this season, and even that was away to Chelsea.

Chris Sutton
Ex-Premier League striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

Casemiro and Eriksen don't have the legs which they once did. Brentford aren't bothered about possession, the lack of legs in there suggest Man Utd will be at their best when they play on the counter-attack.

It's an enormous afternoon for Man Utd as the supporters want them to go up a level.

Brentford are a team who have an identity and they have a brilliant manager. Since they've been in the Premier League they have been a stable club.

They have started the season pretty well, but they'll be a bit of disappointed with the goals they have conceded.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter at Old Trafford

Image source, PA Media

After all the furore over Sir Alex Ferguson being axed as a club ambassador at the end of this season, the former Manchester United boss is not at Old Trafford for today's game.

United sources are stressing his absence has been known about for a long time due to a prior engagement.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Sir Alex Ferguson will leave his role as Manchester United ambassador at the end of the season.

Ferguson has been paid a multi-million pound sum by United since his retirement as manager in 2013.

During that period the 82-year-old has acted as a global ambassador and club director. He has been a regular at games and retains a seat in the directors' box.

Club sources say Ferguson, United's most successful manager thanks to his 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, five FA Cups and four League Cups - among others - will always be welcome at Old Trafford and the decision has been taken amicably following a direct conversation between the Scot and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe last week.

However, it comes as Ratcliffe looks to cut costs in order to invest more money in the team.

Over 250 staff members have been made redundant already in a move the club expect to save about £10m a year.

Last month, the club announced a £113m net loss. It is known to be close to the Premier League's £115m three-year loss limit, although United have said they are committed to abiding by the rules.

United are 14th in the Premier League and manager Erik ten Hag remains in his job before today's game against Brentford despite intense speculation over his future.

A win would be massive for both teams, given they are both in the bottom six, but especially for Southampton boss Russell Martin.

So much has been made of his brand of football that, despite him doing so well to get them promoted, their fans will eventually start to turn against him unless he gets some points on the board - at the moment they only have one.

Leicester, meanwhile, did get their first victory of the campaign last time out. It was a good win over Bournemouth, but I wonder if that will count for as much because all their players jetted off afterwards. The Foxes probably did not want the international break.

Leicester won 9-0 here in October 2019, but this time it is going to be a lot tighter. A draw is not much good to Foxes manager Steve Cooper either, but that is what I am going with.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We had to fight hard in the first half. Going a goal down wasn't ideal but we clawed our way back into it, and it is not easy. West Ham are a big physical side and they have got some speed as well.

"Second half we were outstanding. We upped the tempo and played some quality football, defended when we needed to and got our finishing right.

"I think we had some chances where we could have scored more but if we keep creating the goals will come. We want to be that sort of side that creates lots of chances."

Half time message: "It was not about changing things. We knew there had been a bit of an arm wrestle and we always back ourselves to keep going at the intensity we always do and upping it and taking the game to West Ham. We knew that putting them under pressure here at home we would eventually get there."

On Maddison being taken off at half time: "We needed more running power in midfield and Pape [Sarr] has lots of that, bags of energy and running. He really helped us to get control of the midfield and that gave us a good platform to go forward. Our general play improved from there and we looked dangerous going forward."

On the break since the Brighton defeat: "It was a bad 45 minutes not a bad 90 minutes [v Brighton] so we were not that far away. In that game we stopped the things we had to do in the second half but today it was a 95-minute performance."

The Ipswich Town versus Everton match will now start 15 minutes late, kicking-off at 15:15 BST.

A message on X on the Ipswich Town account says: "We are aware of an issue with the turnstiles, impacting supporters' entry to Portman Road ahead of this afternoon's game. We ask for your patience as we work on a solution."

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter at Old Trafford

Image source, Getty Images

It was not completely clear who would be at left-back for Manchester United this afternoon but there seems to be a pretty big clue in the warm-up.

Jonny Evans and Matthijs de Ligt are doing heading drills on the far side of the pitch. Meanwhile, Lisandro Martinez is on the other side of the penalty area, crossing the ball in from the left.

It could be a cunning double bluff from Erik ten Hag, but I somehow think Martinez will start at left-back.

This one is very hard to call. Ipswich are still winless but, performance-wise, they might still be strangely happy because they have shown they can compete in the Premier League.

Everton have some reasons to be cheerful too. They are only a point and a place above Ipswich in the table but their results have picked up recently, and they are unbeaten in three league games now.

So, I have been scratching my head here about what to go for... and I am going to go against all my instincts and say Ipswich are going to get their first win of the season.

Kieran McKenna's side deserve a break, and maybe they will get it here.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Whatever you’re doing this afternoon you can also take BBC Radio 5 Live commentary of Manchester United v Brentford with you on the BBC Sounds app and listen on the go.

And you can tune in via your smart speaker, simply say to your device "Play Radio 5 Live".

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min speaking to TNT Sports: "To be back on the pitch is a joy, playing with my team-mates in a beautiful stadium is one of my favourite things - especially when you get the result.

"When we conceded the first goal he [manager Ange Postecoglou] wasn't very happy. He talked about protecting our goal like a home. But generally altogether with the performance I am very happy.

"When I get the ball I try and find the best solution. In a one-on-one situation I'm very on it and most like to be in this situation.

"[The support is] incredible, I have been missing this support for three weeks and I didn't go to the national team. Playing in front of these fans is a huge honour and I want to give them something back.

"Sometimes injury time [out] can be good, we have such a busy time, that two or three weeks was perfect to recharge myself and today I was feeling really, really good.

"It's entertaining [football under Postecoglou] but also a lot of pressure. The winger is expected to create chance and get goals. I think it is a lot of joy and pressure which is where we should be."

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler says "it will be a fight" against Newcastle today.

Albion travel to Tyneside to face a Newcastle team who haven't lost at home this season.

"Now we try to get the mindset right to be ready for this tough game," Hurzeler said.

"It's not that you go there and can just play the best football. No, it will be a fight. You have to work for the game, you have to work for the momentum - and you work for it by doing the duels.

"But before that, it's working, working, working, fighting, fighting, fighting."

Laura Kenyon
BBC Final Score at St Mary's Stadium

Image source, Reuters

There’s no mistaking this could not only be a pivotal run of what both sets of fans would class as “winnable” games – but a pivotal individual game for two sides already spoken of as relegation rivals.

For Russell Martin, credit in the bank from Championship promotion and an attractive-on-the-eye possession style, will start to run out if it doesn’t materialise into points on the board for Southampton. His style couldn’t be more different from Steve Cooper, another former Swansea manager, who favours organisation and a tough to break down philosophy over flourish and possession dominance.

A win here today would certainly build Leicester momentum, after a first league win before the international break. A comprehensive win even more so with hushed chatter here about the infamous 9-0 win at St Mary’s, almost five years to the day.