Antony (left) celebrates with Garnacho after scoring Manchester United’s second goal.
Erik ten Hag: Antony needs some confidence then Rashy gives the penalty to Antony which is good for the team when they are together
By Valentine Amanze
Manchester United, indeed, have rediscovered form with the 7-0 bashing of Barnsley in the Carabao Cup match played at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
The feat came after a 3-0 away Premier League victory against Southampton at the weekend.
Though the victory was deserved despite a shaky beginning in the season, the message was love. Marcus Rashford’s decision to allow Antony take the penalty that gave Manchester United the second goal after the Brazilian was hacked down inside the 18-yard box is commendable.
It shows love and one united family; only selfish players would have done otherwise.
Both attackers struggled to score goals last season.
Rashford broke the jinx at the weekend, scoring against Southampton, and opened scoring for Manchester United against Barnsley, while Antony made his first start in the season with the Tuesday night match.
Also read: How Manchester United fared in 3-0 loss to Liverpool at Old Trafford
No doubt converting the penalty will boost Antony’s confidence as he prepares for the next opportunity.
Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag has praised Marcus Rashford for letting Antony take the penalty as Manchester United breezed past Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.
United won the match 7-0 with Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Christian Eriksen all scoring twice, whilst Antony also got on the scoresheet after scoring from the spot.
Rashford’s brace means he has scored three goals in two games. There were clear signs that his confidence is growing and we could see an in-form Rashford this season, which would be a big boost for any team.
The England international opened the scoring with a brilliant strike and was also central in the second as it was his pass that set Antony away before he was brought down in the box by Gabriel Slonina.
Rashford decided to give the penalty to Antony rather than take it himself. The Brazilian made no mistake in front of goal, meaning we had another attacking player among the goalscorers.
In the build-up to the game, Ten Hag had warned Antony about his place in the team and what he needed to do to earn his spot. Last night’s goal should do him the world of good.
After the match, Ten Hag was pleased with the contribution from his attacking players.
“They are very ambitious, very hungry,” Ten Hag said in his post-match press conference, as quoted by The Metro.
“But they also give each other the ball, they want to give assists and give each other the opportunity to score a goal like with the penalty.
“Antony needs some confidence then Rashy gives the penalty to Antony which is good for the team when they are together.”
Rashford knows how difficult it can be to gain confidence when goals run dry. It looks like he has overcome that spell and is trying to help his team-mates to achieve the same feat.
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