In the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Antony stood out as Man Utd held on to defeat Brentford.
In Manchester United’s loss against Newcastle, Erik ten Hag made a lot of mistakes. However, he accomplished a lot in the victory over Brentford.
Jadon Sancho replaced Wout Weghorst in the Dutchman’s lone change from the team that played so poorly over the weekend, but he cleverly switched around his central midfielders to create some confusion in the middle of the field.
Keeping his confidence in Antony was another essential component. The Brazilian has had a rocky start to his time at Old Trafford, but he possesses the priceless star quality to change the course of a match and produce decisive moments. To win this one, he did precisely that.
Right away, it was clear that United had improved from its performance over the weekend, but it was also clear that the midfield still lacked the finesse to penetrate strong defensive teams.
A frequent source of annoyance in recent weeks, Brentford seemed content to give the hosts possession of the ball and put the onus on them to attack.
Instead of the midfield terror of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, three offensive aces were left to try and break through a strong defensive line.
Ten Hag had declared before the game, “We need guys who can create something with dribbles, with movements, with moments and thinking outside the box. Jadon, Antony dos Santos, Marcus, and Marcel Sabitzer can all complete it.
They attempted to create space by focusing on rapid exchanges in center midfield and drilling diagonal balls, but while this partially succeeded, they struggled to find any significant advantage in the final third.
Any success was always going to require a flash of magic or a break in focus. When they ultimately gained the lead, they possessed both of those things.
In order to hoist a delicate dink over the Brentford backline, Antony exhibited excellent technique and grace. When Ethan Pinnock failed to advance in time, Sabitzer harshly punished him with a clever lay-off for Rashford.
This served as a further reminder of Antony’s mysterious abilities. Although he possesses the technical ability of earlier great Brazilian players, Antony prefers to create an impact through cunning and tenacity over pure pace.
It is obvious that the 23-year-old will play a significant part for Ten Hag in the future, but his performance against Brentford served as a reminder of the work he still needs to do to succeed on the right side.
In the first attack, David de Gea’s exquisite long ball found the forward, but Antony lacked the necessary speed to force the opponent’s goalkeeper, David Raya, to pay the price.
Instead, he got into a foot race with Pinnock, who rushed back and impressively neutralized his danger. This was because Antony wanted to cut inside onto his dominant left foot, which was predictable.
The former Ajax ace is frequently criticized for that party trick, but what a trick it is. He came perilously close to scoring himself twice in the opening period as he cut inside, beat the defense, and curled an effort agonizingly wide.
The problem for United with Antony is that, despite his evident talent, he brings an imbalance to the assault. Additionally, his more methodical style of play frequently clashes with the breakaway speed of his teammates.
The biggest compliment that can be given to him is that he always seems to be making something happen whenever he gets on the ball, despite the fact that he may need a little improvement. He is undoubtedly a luxury that they can afford.
His skill set will be priceless to them until this United club is in complete control of games—just ask any fan who had to avoid one of his inaccurate shots on Wednesday night—but there are still many instances of frustration.
Ten Hag sought a creative individual who could think outside the box. Antony actually carried it out.
