That preamble went well: Bryan Mbeumo is only on the bench for Brentford. Thomas Frank makes two changes from the defeat at Brentford. Keane Lewis-Potter replaces the suspended Sergio Reguilon at left wing-back; the young Ukraine midfielder Yegor Yarmoliuk starts ahead of Frank Onyeka.

Manchester United are unchanged from the win over Liverpool. Or rather, they have the same starting XI – the team that finished the match will be the answer to a Trivial Pursuit question in years to come. The influential Lisandro Martinez, who last played against West Ham two months ago, returns from injury and is on the bench. So is Casemiro – but not Amad Diallo, who is suspended.

Brentford (possible 5-3-2) Flekken; Roerslev, Zanka, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Yarmoliuk, Jensen, Janelt; Wissa, Toney.
Substitutes: Trevitt, Maupay, Ghoddos, Onyeka, Mbeumo, Strakosha, Damsgaard, Baptiste, Kim.

Man Utd (possible 4-2-3-1) Onana; Dalot, Varane, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka; McTominay, Mainoo; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund.
Substitutes: Amrabat, Maguire, Martinez, Mount, Eriksen, Casemiro,
Antony, Heaton, Kambwala.

Referee Simon Hooper.

A week is a long time in football, never mind 19 months. Results are forgotten, the news cycle moves on, simplistic narratives congeal and we all forget how inappropriately we reacted to that VAR decision. But a handful of things stay fresh and vivid in the memory. When Manchester United last visited Brentford, for their first away game under Erik ten Hag, they were 4-0 down after 35 minutes. It was an astonishing humiliation, one from which they have arguably never recovered.

While Ten Hag did brilliantly to win a trophy and finish third in his first season, it was a hand-to-mouth triumph. The Brentford defeat meant he was under pressure from the start and had no space to develop the style of play everyone expected from an Ajax alumnus.

Only three or four of the United XI from that game will start tonight, so it’s not really about revenge, but there’s an undeniable symbolism about United’s return to Brentford – especially as Ten Hag’s job was being advertised on the back pages during the international break.

That international break came at a bad time for United, who would have loved to go again and again and again after their amazing FA Cup victory over Liverpool. Plenty compared Amad Diallo’s winner to Mark Robins’ goal against Nottingham Forest in 1990, the sliding door of Sir Alex Ferguson’s time at the club. And while United wouldn’t mind winning 13 Premier League titles under Ten Hag, they would appreciate one deviation from the Fergie template: the next game.

In 1990, United followed their win at Forest with a league game at home to Derby County in the league. Steve Bruce was sent off for trying to boot Dean Saunders out of the ground, Derby won 2-1 and United – on a run of nine league games without a win – stayed only two points above the relegation places. Even when you can see the gate to the shining uplands, and you dance towards it whistling Happy Go Lucky Me, you should watch where you’re walking.

United probably need to win tonight to maintain their outside chance of Champions League qualification. It’s arguably an even bigger game for Brentford, who will move seven points clear of the bottom three with a victory.

For a side on a run of five defeats in the last six leagues games and 12 in the last 15, Brentford may approach this game with incommensurate confidence. There’s one main reason for that. It’s likely that, for the first time this season, Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo will start together up front together. Just like they did when United were last here.

Kick off 8pm.