The win was mainly down to the energy levels and determination shown by the players and manager Erik ten Hag deserves praise for being brave with his team selection.

Changes needed to be made after that horror show against Newcastle and a less brave manager would have played Marcus Rashford, after all, he was last season’s top scorer.

Antony a breath of fresh air

But the Dutchman played Antony on the right, who displayed tenacity and was always there for the team, be it in attack or while tracking back.

The Brazilian has no goals or assists this season but he should have had his first assist of the season when he won a penalty after a foul on him inside the box by Enzo Fernandez.

Bruno Fernandes ended up missing from the spot but the Brazilian did not let the miss affect him as he kept going and was a constant thorn on the right side.

He had 52 touches and made two key passes while creating one big chance, a sharp cry from what the Mancunian had produced a couple of days back.

He was not shy to shoot as well, having one shot on target, and one off target, and saw two attempts blocked (stats via Sofascore).

Tenacious Antony

His teammates gave him the ball in tight areas, and the Brazil international made efficient use of his quick feet, drawing the defender in and winning four fouls in the process.

His tenacious side helped him win seven duels, while he also made two tackles, showcasing he was ready to get dirty to help his side clinch victory.

Starting from his performance against Galatasaray in the Champions League last week, the former Ajax star is showing that he is slowly regaining his touch after a tough start to his second campaign in Manchester.

Now his effort needs to translate into goals and assists and that will help ease the pressure on him. Ten Hag needs more from his attacking players and Antony has the talent to provide it.

His display was a reminder of his talents and he should keep his place for the upcoming game against Bournemouth as well.

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The scoreline does not tell the whole story as the hosts could have scored five or six on the night, while also could have conceded three.

Manager Erik ten Hag will be pleased with the intensity shown by his team after a lethargic display at the weekend which helped the side get all three points after all the pressure that had been heaped on him during the week by the British media.

An open, and entertaining contest, the game was ultimately decided by the United boss’ brave calls regarding team selection and with his impactful substitution.

ETH made the right selection calls

Forgoing the urge to keep playing Marcus Rashford who is currently looking like a shadow of the player that was top scorer last season, the manager was right to trust Antony on the right and play the in-form Alejandro Garnacho on the left, both of whom put in impressive displays.

The Brazilian has endured a tough time this season and he might not have contributed with a goal or assist, but he defended admirably when needed and was a constant menace while attacking.

He won a penalty which skipper Bruno Fernandes missed but he did not let his head drop after that and kept going, a sharp cry from what the boss saw from his forwards against Newcastle.

As for the Argentine, he was a constant thorn in the Blues’ side and he could have grabbed a couple of goals himself if not for some good saves from Robert Sanchez.

He keeps showing immense bravery and is not afraid to keep trying even when things are not coming off for him, a great trait to have as a winger.

The main difference between the duo on Wednesday and what Rashford and Anthony Martial produced on Saturday was the constant determination to keep pushing instead of blaming others and flailing their arms about.

Ten Hag’s substitutions have not always worked this season and they have often arrived too late but at half-time with the score reading 1-1, the manager would have been forgiven for not making too many changes considering the attacking display from his team.

Perfect sub to control the game even more

Instead, he opted to bring on Sergio Reguilon as left-back, thereby moving Luke Shaw to the heart of the defence and the move paid dividends.

The Spaniard might not be the best defensively, but he has boundless energy and loves to run forward and he ensured United kept attacking down the left in the second half.

The win means United are up to sixth and only three points behind defending champions Manchester City in fourth. A strange season indeed!

Up next are Bournemouth, who are in good form and the Reds will need to keep up the same level of intensity if they are to grab three points.

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After the team’s calamitous loss at the hands of Newcastle last week, no doubt Erik ten Hag would have been keen to get maximum points and relieve some pressure that was mounting on him and his players.

The United boss started Andre Onana in goal.

In defence, Ten Hag gave the nod to Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw.

Sofyan Amrabat started as United’s deepest-lying midfielder, with Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay slightly ahead of him.

Rasmus Hojlund led the line with Antony and Alejandro Garnacho on the bench. There was no place in the starting XI for Marcus Rashford who was dropped to the bench.

Here are three things we learned from Manchester United’s 2-1 win against Chelsea.

Questions remain about McTominay’s continued selection despite his goals

United took the lead in the 20th minute courtesy of McTominay, who found himself at the right place inside the Chelsea box to fire the ball into the back of the net, past the reach of a diving Robert Sanchez.

McTominay grabbed a second goal of the game in the second half to complete his brace when he headed in from a superb Garnacho cross.

However, beyond the goals, it could be argued the Scotland international did not offer much else, especially out of possession.

In truth, that has become the norm when McTominay is on the pitch – somehow manage to score but then disappear and contribute very little both on the ball and off it. It just so happens that against Chelsea, he clinched two goals that were enough to win the game.

Far too often, Chelsea managed to easily cut through United’s midfield and were it not for the fact they lack quality up front, the Blues could have hurt United much more.

Indeed, Chelsea’s equalizing goal after McTominay’s opener came from Mauricio Pochettino’s men moving up the pitch into United territory almost unopposed before Cole Palmer beat Onana with a cheeky finish.

It’s highly likely that if Chelsea had more quality up front, the Red Devils would have been made to pay more dearly for just how open they were in the middle of the park.

On more than one occasion, Fernandes and McTominay bombed forward in search of goalscoring opportunities and left huge tracts of space behind them.

At times, Amrabat found himself isolated and with multiple rival players to cover alone.

United have found it very difficult to control games and assert dominance due to the imbalance in midfield. A section of fans have questioned whether McTominay’s goals justify the chaos his continued inclusion in the team brings.

Going forward, United might be better served by prioritizing midfielders that bring balance or properly structuring the team to accommodate McTominay in a way that does not leave the side open and susceptible to conceding easy chances. It’s clear Ten Hag values his goals, especially during a season in which the forwards are not really firing.

Slightly improved performance by Antony

Against Galatasaray, Antony was praised for producing one of his best performances since joining United.

He didn’t get the opportunity to build up on the positive display in Istanbul when United lost at St James’ Park just days later.

However, Ten Hag put faith in him vs. Chelsea and the Brazilian was good.

He won a penalty in the early stages of the match but it ultimately didn’t count for much as Fernandes missed from the spot-kick.

The 23-year-old was a constant pain in the backside for Levi Colwill and Thiago Silva all game. Antony’s passing was crisp and he was probably one of the few players from either team who seemed calm and composed enough to deliver the ball to its intended target.

The United forward had a few sights of goal and should have perhaps got on the score sheet in the second half when his left-foot shot flew just inches wide of Sanchez’s goal.

Antony also got United high up the pitch well and won some crucial fouls.

More significant is that he executed his defensive responsibilities well and helped out Dalot when required to do so.

Against Newcastle, Rashford came under intense criticism for a perceived lack of effort and disinterest in helping out defensively – certainly, no one can make such an accusation against Antony who did well vs. Chelsea.

He wasn’t as dangerous and threatening as Garnacho was, but Antony earned himself some plaudits.

Hopefully, Antony carries on in the same vein and starts showing why Ten Hag sanctioned a big-money move for him in the summer of 2022.

Reguilon’s introduction helped United get over the line

During the interval, Ten Hag took off an uninspiring Lindelof and replaced the Swede with Sergio Reguilon.

This meant that Shaw was moved to slot right next to Maguire at the heart of the United backline.

Reguilon was an extremely positive change.

Beyond the energy he injected, the Spaniard helped out a lot going forward. He participated in attacking phases much more than the reserved Lindelof.

Reguilon also combined well with Garnacho, and most of United’s chances came down their side.

The two put in some nice crosses. Regulion also constantly overlapped to either create space for Garnacho or drag the full-back wider to create gaps.

With Tyrell Malacia out, Ten Hag will be pleased that he can count on Reguilon to contribute when called up.

The post Three things we learned as Scott McTominay’s sensational brace secures 2-1 win for Man United vs. Chelsea appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

United signed Antony from Ajax in the summer of 2022 for a whooping £85m. In his maiden season, he managed a decent eight goals and three assists in 44 appearances across all competitions/

This term, however, has been an entirely different story. The Brazilian is yet to register a goal or even an assist.

Earlier during the campaign, Antony was granted a leave of absence by United after multiple women publicly accused him of among other things, assault, violence and causing bodily harm.

At the moment, Antony seems to have slightly lost favour under Erik ten Hag, who has recently opted to deploy Marcus Rashford on the right wing, with Alejandro Garnacho tasked with the responsibility of playing on the left flank.

Antony has had his fair share of critics, not only from supporters but also club legends.

Last year, Paul Scholes labelled the 23-year-old a “one-trick pony” for his over-reliance on his left foot. After the Manchester derby last month, Gary Neville slammed the forward for kicking out at Jeremy Doku while the Red Devils were losing at Old Trafford.

In a frank interview, Antony opened up on his critics and said, “I see criticism coming from former club players and other people in the media, who unreasonably express their opinions and influence thousands of fans, sometimes even when I do not play.”

“But I’ve never seen them give constructive criticism, which will help me be a better professional. None of them have ever sent me a message to see how I am feeling, especially during this period of turbulence that I am going through.”

He added, “The ‘digital court’ is ruining lives – contexts are left aside, and the truth no longer matters. I am silently rebuilding myself, and I know that I will be able to be in my best physical and mental shape and overcome all these barriers and challenges that are in front of me because it has always been like this in my life.”

“No one has ever given me anything, I have always fought hard for everything I achieved. I would like to know how these people who make these unfair and malicious criticisms [would have] fared in my place.”

Antony admitted that his life has changed radically over the last four years and it hasn’t always been easy to accommodate the shift from growing up in poverty in São Paulo in his native Brazil to now playing for the biggest club in England.

He explained that as it stands, his primary battle is getting back in top shape and performing at the very highest level on the pitch.

The United man revealed that he is still working to fully adapt to the Premier League and obviously get his numbers up.

He remarked, ” I am working hard to reach my best level soon.”

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British media are ramping up the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag, with multiple outlets reporting variations of the same story — that a majority of the squad are unhappy with the Dutchman.

While some were said to be against the training methods, a few were also not too impressed with the manager’s handling of the Jadon Sancho saga.

Recruitment issues

Samuel Luckhurst of The Manchester Evening News has gone one step further and reported that the players are unhappy with the recruitment done since the former Ajax coach took over.

The names of Antony, Mason Mount, and Wout Weghorst were mentioned as disappointing signings while surprisingly, the list also included the name of the newest recruit Rasmus Hojlund.

“Some time-served players are startled by the calibre of Ten Hag’s signings. One is believed to be particularly perplexed by the addition of the callow Rasmus Hojlund, a £72 million signing from Atalanta who is yet to score in the Premier League.

“Antony, Wout Weghorst, who managed two goals in 31 appearances, and Mason Mount are among the other signings who have been questioned by players.”

Antony has not started his second season well, with 0 goals and assists so far while Weghorst was forced upon the manager due to the lack of funds in the January window last season.

As for Mount, he has been predominantly injured so the jury is still out. As for Hojlund, he is the top scorer in the Champions League. If not for his goals, United would have been embarrassed in Europe.

The writer of the article is a serial offender, and he has often written along the same lines regarding previous managers as well. No wonder he has been banned by Erik ten Hag from attending the Chelsea pre-match press conference.

Player power needs to end

Concerningly, the report also mentions, “Anthony Martial has been identified as one of the prime players who is not invested enough in helping United to succeed while there are growing issues over Marcus Rashford.”

These overpaid prima donnas need to be ousted from their positions of power and the manager must restore order in a chaotic dressing room full of over-inflated egos with no substantial achievements to back it up.

For too long player power has run rampant at Old Trafford, aided by the Glazers’ lecherous handling of the club. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s entry cannot come soon enough.

Just like behind-the-scene personnel changes, players should also be shown the door who are unwilling to work and come out of this current predicament.

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Manager Erik ten Hag’s side just did not look like they were at the races, losing every 50-50 ball and just not ready for a scrap when it was required.

Marcus Rashford was particularly poor on the night, a trend that has been happening far too often this campaign. This is the story of his career so far.

Rashy back to his poor self

He plays extraordinary for a season, then regresses the following term before rediscovering himself again before the same cycle repeats itself.

The Mancunian can point to the fact that he is not as adept on the right as he is on the left but his lack of effort cannot be excused. After all, he is playing for the biggest club in the world and is reportedly a fan himself.

Tino Livramento had all the time in the world on the right as either the academy graduate failed to track back or was too easily dribbled past.

His head dropped after each unsuccessful attempt at handling his opposite full-back, always a worrying sign when it comes to Rashford’s body language.

He won only 25% of his duels and lost possession nine times in 60 minutes. It was a surprise to see him emerge for the second half after his disastrous first-half showing.

Needs to be dropped

The Englishman touched the ball only 22 times and ended his night with a passing accuracy rate of a dismal 65%.

Antony in half the time almost had the same touches of the ball and even came close to scoring, seeing his effort chalked out for off-side after it struck Harry Maguire.

The England international had 0 successful crosses, 0 key passes, 0 shots, and only one long ball found its mark (stats via Sofascore).

Ten Hag needs to drop him for the upcoming game against Chelsea and play Antony on the right. The coaching staff has to help Rashford regain his mojo because currently, he is just letting the club, his teammates, and fans down.

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At the pre-match press conference ahead of the game the boss was asked if they could start and replied:

“They are in the squad.”

The manager was also asked if he thinks his United side has improved since the Turkish side beat them at Old Trafford last month.

“I think so yeah, but probably it will be the same for Galatasaray, but I think we’ve improved. It’s good progress,” he said.

“We’re stepping up. We’re more stable … definitely there’s a big difference from the first moment we played them.”

Asked if he was concerned that United had struggled away from home in Europe, he replied:

“Last year we couldn’t win away from home, that was an issue, now we can’t win at home, so now we win away games and now you bring up we don’t win away games in Europe, ah, we know we can do it, we are confident because the last games away from home, in the league, also very hostile, we did very well, calm and composed.

“This team also last year in Barcelona. So we know how to deal with it and tomorrow we’ll be very confident on the pitch.”

A reporter asked whether not rising to provocation would be important.

“Absolutely,” Ten Hag replied.

“You have to stay calm in your head and don’t get too emotional. You need the emotion but you have to control it.

“You don’t give them anything, you don’t give the referee as well, that moment they’re going to take, so you have to stay away from such moments.

“We know how to deal with it, you have to play confident.

“It’s not important how well our opponent is playing, it’s important how we are playing.”

The match in Istanbul is an early kick-off tomorrow at 17.45 GMT.

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Erik ten Hag’s men need both a victory in Turkey, as well as Bayern Munich to beat FC Copenhagen at the Allianz Arena, in order to keep their European dreams alive this season, following a dismal campaign thus far.

While United have struggled for goals domestically, they have found fewer issues scoring continentally, racking up nine goals in four games. Højlund is the joint top scorer in the entire competition, returning an impressive five goals.

Yet United find themselves languishing bottom of their group, dangerously close to an embarrassing early elimination from Europe’s premier competition.

The root cause of this unfavourable position has been calamitous defending; the type which you’d expect to see from your child’s Sunday League team, not seasoned internationals.

Eleven goals conceded in four games, including three to Galatasaray at home and four to FC Copenhagen away, tells its own story. The fact United were leading comfortably in both of these games, courtesy of Højlund’s best efforts, paints a fuller picture of their struggles this season.

All of which combines to make tomorrow’s match against Galatasaray a must-win. It is an unenviable task, however.

An away match in the cauldron which is RAMS Park constitutes one of the tougher environments for a footballer to traverse. Going there in desperate need of all three points makes it one of the toughest assignments in European football.

United have history in this exact position. In 1993, Sir Alex Ferguson took his side to Galatasaray, needing a win to stay in the Champions League. They were greeted with an iconic ‘Welcome to Hell’ sign and an intensely hostile atmosphere.

United would only end up drawing 0-0, sparking a shock exit from the competition. It is no easy task to go to RAMS Park and not fall victim to the hellish experience.

Which is why the news emanating from Carrington today of Højlund and Antony both having returned to training following absences through injury will prove a significant boost to Ten Hag.

The Danish striker had been ruled out with a suspected hamstring injury following the match against Luton, while his Brazilian team mate was reported to have picked up a knock in training.

Both were spotted back in the action this morning, however, as evidenced below.

Rasmus Hojlund + Antony both fit to return to #MUFC training ahead of Galatasaray game. pic.twitter.com/zoYzJVz29Z

— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) November 28, 2023

Ten Hag will need both players performing at their absolute best to be able to extract the necessary result tomorrow to keep United’s Champions League hopes alive.

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It was a night where Alejandro Garnacho stole all the headlines with a worthy winner of the goal of the season award as he executed a perfectly-timed bicycle kick in the third minute of the game.

Marcus Rashford started on the right and managed to score as he dispatched a penalty won by Anthony Martial while the Frenchman scored the third on the night.

Antony injury

All three forwards got in on the act, which will please manager Erik ten Hag as he has seen his team struggle in front of goal all season.

The perfect performance from the attacking trio came on a night when Antony was deemed not match-fit enough after picking up a knock.

It was expected that the Brazil international would be starting the game due to the number of injuries in the squad as striker Rasmus Hojlund missed out after picking up a knock prior to the international break.

United’s injury problems are only getting worse as the former Ajax winger joined the likes of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, and Lisandro Martinez just to name a few on the sidelines.

Antony picked up a knock in training and is not quite match-fit. #MUFC

— Carl Anka (@Ankaman616) November 26, 2023

“Antony picked up a knock in training and is not quite match-fit,” The Athletic reporter Carl Anka tweeted ahead of the game. There is no clarity regarding the seriousness of the injury and when he will be back.

The Brazilian has not managed a single goal or assist so far and has been dogged by off-field controversies. His performances have been so dire that there have been reports suggesting he could be leaving despite being the record buy of the club.

Antony’s absence forced the management to include academy striker Joe Hugill in the matchday squad.

Injuries piling up ahead of congested fixtures list

Rashford played on the right and scored a goal and showed glimpses of building up a decent partnership with Diogo Dalot and it will be a difficult task for the Brazilian to reclaim a starting berth once he is ready.

Ten Hag has been desperate to see his wingers and strikers get on the scoresheet and the display will instill a lot more confidence among the attackers, who prior to the encounter against the Toffees, had scored only once this season.

Ten Hag will be desperate for his injured stars to return as soon as possible as the team braces for a make-or-break week with a do-or-die contest against Galatasaray in the Champions League coming up.

United will then feature in a huge clash against Newcastle United in the league ahead of a congested festive fixture list.

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Chief among those struggling names has been Antony, an Erik ten Hag favourite whose form was so underwhelming he lost his undisputed starter position.

Off-the-field incidents haven’t helped him either, with the winger forced to take a leave of absence in the middle of the season to deal with it.

However, Football Insider reports that Ten Hag is not willing to step back from his unequivocal backing of the player at any cost.

The report states that Antony is set to be rewarded with a major first-team role in the gruelling winter months despite not being a helpful contributor to the team’s efforts this season.

The murmurs around Antony’s future being potentially away from United were also quickly quashed recently, which confirms how highly rated he is by the management.

This backing has become a source of frustration for fans at times, with the player being average on the pitch and still getting starts in the team.

In that vein, this report will hardly get fans excited, who are already worried that Ten Hag shows favouritism towards some players in particular.

However, the manager’s stance in this particular case is understandable to an extent, since the fixture list is relentless till March.

He will need every player to be available, regardless of form or ability, because injury risk will peak with the games coming thick and fast.

In such a scenario, he can’t afford to lose a dependable player like Antony who rarely gets injured and regardless of form, can always be backed to put in a hard shift.

Still, fans are right to demand more from an attacker and the Brazilian will need to start producing the goods sooner rather than later.

Otherwise, the noise around him will increase and it will also increase the pressure on Ten Hag, who is not giving up on his pet project and last year’s marquee signing.

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