Thomas Frank hailed his Brentford side for "destroying" Manchester United in the first half last night, but in truth the Bees lacked the quality to kill them.
For all their fine work, the west Londoners lacked a composed and clinical touch in the final third - the sort that Christian Erkisen would certainly bring.
Brentford have offered Eriksen a chance to return to the Premier League and professional football following his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 last summer and, while there are plenty of questions over how the Dane would fare, how Frank must have wished he could have counted on that sort of quality here.
The Bees dominated Ralf Rangnick's side throughout the opening 45 minutes, but Frank could only watch on as midfielder Mathias Jensen spurned two golden chances before the break - the sort of openings his compatriot Eriksen would surely have taken. The visitors went on to show a ruthless touch in front of goal after the interval.
Brentford have made some fine memories at home in this first Premier League season, and would have had another last night if they could call on the quality of someone like Eriksen.
The hosts started with trademark energy, Jensen and Christian Norgaard giving Bruno Fernandes, Fred and Scott McTominay the runaround in midfield. Norgaard snapped into challenge after challenge as Jensen, playing the role which Eriksen would likely occupy should Brentford seal that remarkable deal, drove through the Manchester United lines and found himself in front of goal time after time, only to blow it when it mattered most.
On top of those two one-on-one openings, both of which were sent timidly at David de Gea, Jensen volleyed wide after two minutes and fired straight at the Spanish goalkeeper again on the break early in the second half. The 26-year-old could well have had three before United even opened the scoring.
That followed soon after Jensen's final chance, Anthony Elanga slipping between the Bees' defence to get a toe to Fred's ball over the top and then heading past Jonas Lossl. From there, as Brentford had been in the first half, the Red Devils were brutal on the break.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who would show his petulant side when substituted later, chested the ball around the corner to Bruno Fernandes, who raced forward and laid on the easiest of tap-ins for Mason Greenwood, before Marcus Rashford lashed in a third with a fine finish at the near post.
"Of the three goals, the second is most disappointing and difficult to come back from," said Frank. "The way we smashed them in the first half was fantastic, so proud of my team."
Brentford got one back through Ivan Toney as he scrambled home his first goal since November, but what could have been the cherry on the cake proved only a consolation.
With 10 goals conceded across their last three games, Frank may hope a touch of class in the final third can ease the pressure on a leaky defence and extinguish any lingering fears of a slip into a relegation scrap at the bottom of the Premier League.
