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It’s only been a month and a half since the season kicked off, but it already feels like a million and one things have happened.

Arsenal have played the likes of Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur away from home in the Premier League, demolished Bolton Wanderers in the League Cup and kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 0-0 draw away to Atalanta, courtesy of a sensational double penalty save from David Raya.

Yet, even with all of that, suspensions to key players and injuries to others, Mikel Arteta’s side stand in good stead in the league and in Europe, although with a game against Paris Saint-Germain to come tonight, that might be less true come ten o’clock.

The manager will likely make several changes to the team, with talk of summer signing Mikel Merino getting his first run out for the club, but he should avoid doing that and start one of his most reliable stars instead.

Why fans should be excited about Merino

Okay, so yes, we’d say that considering he fractured his shoulder in late August, it is probably too early to play Merino tonight and certainly far too early to start him, but that doesn’t mean the fans shouldn’t be eagerly anticipating his eventual inclusion in the team.

For example, while Arteta’s team are already incredibly physical and hard to dominate, the European Champion will only help make the North Londoners even more formidable, as standing at 6 foot 2, the 28-year-old is not the stereotypical Spanish midfielder who is a wizard on the ball but easily pushed off of it.

Moreover, he puts his stature to good use, as according to Squawka, the former Real Sociedad midfielder was the leading duel winner in Europe’s top seven leagues last season, winning an unreal 326 of them across the campaign.

Lastly, while his off-the-ball work and sheer presence in midfield will help make Arsenal an even more unpleasant team to play against, the former Newcastle United ace is still a technically proficient player and someone who will be able to help in building up play and pitch in with goals and assists when needed.

For example, in his 45 appearances for La Real last season, the Pamplona-born dynamo scored eight goals and provided five assists, equating to a goal involvement once every 3.46, and with the left-footed Riccardo Calafiori behind him and Gabriell Martinelli ahead, the Gunners may finally have a left-hand side that can match the attacking prowess of their right.

However, with all of that said, even though Merino is rumoured to be in the squad for tonight’s game, Arteta should not risk playing him, especially when he can turn to one of his most trusted players instead.

Why Jorginho should start

Yes, the man Arteta should be turning to this evening is Italian veteran Jorginho.

Now, there may be calls to keep the midfield the same from the weekend and to start Thomas Partey alongside Declan Rice, but for as talented as the Ghanaian international is, he has started seven out of eight games so far this season, and with his worrying injury record, he should be rested for the games to come.

Moreover, in the former Chelsea ace, the manager already has a trustworthy and experienced midfield general who is undoubtedly a “big-game player”, as dubbed by Daily Mirror journalist Darren Lewis, and proven in last season’s games against Liverpool at home in which he was named Player of the Match, and the draw away at the Etihad.

Furthermore, in the 19 games he started for the Gunners last year, they won 11 of them, drew four, and lost just four, which is pretty good going for a player who is not a regular starter.

Lastly, Arteta once again turned to him for the game against Spurs last month, and while he wasn’t spectacular, he didn’t need to be. Alongside Partey, he helped keep Ange Postecoglou’s uber-attacking side quiet for 90 minutes.

Ultimately, fans should be excited about Merino’s coming back into the team and recovering from his shoulder injury so quickly.

However, with how many must-win games there are going to be this season, the manager should not be looking to play him tonight, especially when Jorginho is the ideal person to bring in for a game such as this.

Arsenal teen who was causing more excitement than Nwaneri has already left

The sensational youngster looks set for an incredible career.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 30, 2024

Ange Postecoglou has denied claims Mathys Tel rejected an initial offer to join Tottenham before eventually completing a loan move from Bayern Munich.

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• Tel reportedly rejected Spurs offer
• Ended up making deadling day move
• Man Utd walked away from Bayern talks

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 19-year-old forward joined Spurs in a deadline day transfer that will see him spend the rest of the season on loan while the north London side have a €55 million (£46m/$57m) option to buy him on a permanent basis this summer.

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  However, the deal only went through after Tel reportedly turned down Spurs' initial permanent approach amid interest from Manchester United, who walked away from talks with Bayern due to the German side's excessive demands. Asked if the France Under-21 international had knocked back his team, Postecoglou explained the young forward's thinking.

• WHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID

  "I think people need to understand that you are talking about a 19-year-old who has to make a major decision for his career and it's not that he rejected us or rejected anyone else," he told reporters. "I think he just wanted to be comfortable with his decision. I don't think he wanted to be pushed in a certain direction and it's credit to him. "I had a conversation with him and it was purely around the football and I think he'll find a really good place for him here."

  Asked if he is convinced of Tel's commitment to Spurs, he added: "Yes, 100 per cent. I am more than 100% sure because he took so much time, was so diligent about finding out everything. He had other options so it gave me more confidence that we are getting the right kind of mentality, the right kind of player. He is very ambitious. He has a great self-belief and confidence. He feels he can reach the top of the game and he has chosen us which is great vindication of what we are doing."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TEL?

  Tel managed just two starts in his eight Bundesliga appearances this season and heads to Tottenham in search of more playing time. He could make his debut against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Thursday.

Liverpool made it two wins from their first two Champions League games this season, thanks to a 2-0 win over Italian outfit, Bologna. Arne Slot’s side were dominant throughout the game, and never really looked troubled, sealing the points thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and the inevitable Mohamed Salah.

Mac Allister, a World Cup winner with Argentina, scored a simple tap-in, but it was superb play in the buildup. The midfielder linked up play nicely, before making a late dart into the penalty box and getting on the end of a teasing cross from Salah, to give the Reds the lead.

Salah’s goal doubled the lead for the home side with 15 minutes to go, cutting inside onto his left foot and lashing it into the top corner. It was a goal that capped off a dominant showing from Slot’s men, who sit fifth in the table of the new group phase.

There were certainly some standout performances throughout the evening at Anfield. Not least from Mac Allister, who was one of the stars of the show for Liverpool. However, it will come as no surprise to hear that one of the standout players once again was Salah.

Salah’s stats vs. Bologna

It was another vintage display from Liverpool’s Egyptian king at Anfield, and he once again put on a show for the Liverpool supporters. The winger was at his brilliant best, creating chances and looking like a constant threat on the attack.

His goal was superb, a trademark Salah finish. The Reds’ number 11 cut inside on his left foot, dummying with a clever drop of his shoulder, before driving into the Bologna penalty box and firing home into the top left-hand corner, as pinpoint as you could ask for. That goal went along with his superb assist for Mac Allister in the first half.

He received an impressive 9/10 rating from Ben Fleming, a journalist for The Metro. He hailed Salah’s performance which ultimately made the difference for Slot’s side, calling him ‘the architect’ of the Reds’ dominant win.

Indeed, his superb contribution was reflected in his Sofascore stats at full-time. Salah had a surprisingly low 37 touches of the ball but managed to provide three key passes and create one big chance, as well as creating the opener and sealing the three points with his wonder strike.

Salah’s performance was mightily impressive, but there was arguably a player who stood out more than the winger. That player is Ryan Gravenberch.

Gravenberch’s stats vs. Bologna

Since he was given the task of playing as a number six under Slot, Gravenberch has gone from strength to strength in a Liverpool shirt, and Wednesday night’s performance against Bologna was no different.

It was a superb, metronomic display at the base of the Reds’ midfield from the Dutchman, who has previously been deployed in more advanced roles. However, he seems right at home as a number six, dictating play with ease, and using his 6 foot 2 frame to his advantage, gaining an upper hand physically against opposition midfielders.

His stats from the game show just how impressive he was. The former Bayern Munich midfielder had 58 touches, two more than Liverpool’s first goalscorer Mac Allister. He was effective on the ball, creating two chances and completing three out of four dribbles. The Dutch international also won four out of six ground duels.

Gravenberch received an 8/10 from Fleming for his efforts against the Italian side on Wednesday. The journalist explained he ‘continues to thrive; as a number six, and explained that he ‘bossed’ the midfield at Anfield.

Slot will no doubt be delighted with the progress his side are making; the Reds have six points from six in the Champions League and are currently top of the Premier League. They look to extend their five-match winning run against Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime.

Liverpool wanted to sign £50m star for Klopp but ended up with Szoboszlai

Would he have been the better fit for Arne Slot’s side?

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 2, 2024

A new survey has discovered the most hated team in the Premier League with Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool all in the running.

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• Fans asked for most hated team
• Premier League big hitters top the charts
• Wolves the least hated in the top flight

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Over 2,000 UK residents have been surveyed by OBLG in a bid to discover the Premier League's most hated team. And, despite recent struggles, it's Manchester United who top the list with over 15% of respondents voting for the Red Devils. Next up are Premier League leaders Liverpool with an 8.45% share of the vote, followed by Manchester City (7.7%) and then Arsenal (7.4%).

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  United have long been hated by rival Premier League fans due to their status as one of the biggest clubs in the world and after an era of dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson. The Red Devils won 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups and two Champions Leagues under the legendary Scot. Rivals Liverpool are also deeply unpopular, and enjoyed huge success in the 1980s, while Manchester City's recent trophy-laden spell and alleged breaches of FFP rules ensure many younger supporters despise Pep Guardiola's side.

• TELL ME MORE

  The Premier League's least hated teams are, perhaps unsurprisingly, sides currently sitting in the bottom half of the table. Wolves top the list of the least hated on 0.70%, Brentford are next (0.85%) and Ipswich Town (1.00%) are third.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The study also revealed that Liverpool is the city with the highest percentage of people declaring their hatred for one club. That club was once again Manchester United, with 28.81% of people surveyed in Liverpool hating the Red Devils the most.

Da Costa will cost a reported $6 million, while Evander departs after a career-best season in the Pacific Northwest

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• Portland reportedly trade Evander to FCC for $12M
• RC Lens' David Da Costa will replace him
• Trade result of a domino effect from Lucho Acosta move
• Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Portland Timbers have reportedly traded star attacker Evander to FC Cincinnati for a fee in the region of $12 million. The deal is for a cash fee + add-ons, becoming a club-record fee for Portland and instantly becoming one of the biggest outbound transfers by an MLS side since the league's founding.

  FCC will use the mechanism that was enabled in January by MLS to pay for the Brazilian.

  The Timbers already have a replacement for Evander lined up, with the Western Conference side set to pay $6 million for the services of RC Lens attacker David Da Costa.

  Both deals are only able to happen due to a domino effect of Lucho Acosta's reported transfer from FCC to FC Dallas, opening a DP spot in the for Evander, and one for Da Costa in Portland.

  was the first to report both deals.

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  Evander is a genuine star in MLS, and had a record best year in 2024, with 15 goals and 15 assists.

  Before his time in Portland, Evander played for FC Midtjylland in Denmark, where he played in both the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League with the Danish side.

  The addition of Evander in the is another building block to their incredible offseason, where they've already spent $16.2 million on striker Kevin Denkey from Belgian side Genk.

  Da Costa, meanwhile, is already in Portland finalizing his contract. A member of Lens' academy, the 24-year-old is a Portuguese winger/midfielder who can provide versatility in the final third for manager Phil Neville. He scored four goals and recorded three assists for the club in 2023-24, playing a crucial role in helping them secure UCL soccer in 2024-25. However, he has only played 349 minutes in Ligue 1 action this season, resulting in the move stateside.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Portland also secured the services of striker Kevin Kelsy from Shakhtar Donetsk this offseason for a reported fee of $6 million, after he spent 2024 on loan in MLS at FCC. They paid the club up to $175k in Allocation Money for his MLS rights.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Both Da Costa and Evander will look to put pen to paper this week on their contracts ahead of the start of the 2025 MLS campaign later this month.

  Portland debuts against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Feb. 23, while FCC take on the New York Red Bulls on Feb. 22. However, before that, the debut in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where they will take on FC Motagua over two legs on Feb. 19 and Feb. 26.

Leeds United have been handed yet another update on their potential deal to sign Cheikhou Kouyate as they look to hand Daniel Farke reinforcements amid an injury crisis.

Leeds United injury updates and team news

Leeds have been dealt a tough hand in midfield after picking up a pair of serious injuries in successive Championship games, something that threatens to derail their early promotion push.

Ethan Ampadu was forced off in the first half of Leeds’ win over Coventry City with a knee injury, and Ilia Gruev suffered a similar problem three days later in a draw with Norwich City, leaving the Yorkshire side down to bare bones in the centre of the park.

Farke doesn’t expect Ampadu to return until the end of 2024: “It’s a serious knee injury, he’s damaged his lateral ligament. The doctors have recommended conservative treatment so doesn’t need surgery, but it’s difficult to predict how long he’ll be out. Ten weeks until he’s back in team training.”

Gruev is likely to be similar and will also require “an extended period of rehabilitation”. It means that for their upcoming Championship clash with Sheffield United on Friday, Farke’s options as things stand are loanee midfielder Joe Rothwell, untested youngster Charlie Crew and summer signing Ao Tanaka, who completed 90 minutes for Japan on Tuesday lunchtime.

Though the Elland Road boss is against signing free agents, he admitted that an exception may have to be made on this occasion: “On the midfielder position, after the horrendous news with Ilia Gruev, my attitude [is] I actually don’t like October signings of free agents. I don’t believe in it, but when the times are strange, you have to think about it.”

That is precisely what Leeds have been trying to do in the shape of ex-Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, but now they have been dealt another damaging blow in their pursuit of the Senegalese veteran.

Leeds staff tell club to pull plug on free agent transfer

That comes as Football Insider, who yesterday reported that the free agent was undergoing a medical at Thorp Arch, now claim that the 34-year-old has failed that medical and a deal is now off.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke claims that the midfielder “did not get the all-clear from the club’s staff”, something that has meant Leeds have “pulled the plug on a potential deal”, which perhaps supports Farke’s theory that free agents are not always fit enough to be worth signing.

The Yorkshire side will keep looking for options to reinforce their side though, with Farke reportedly keen to “bolster his squad before the January transfer window opens” in two and a half months’ time.

Leeds could find their new Summerville in prolific Thorp Arch talent

The Leeds youngster has been in scintillating form for the U21s this season.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 16, 2024

Whether they will be able to find someone of Kouyate’s vast experience remains to be seen, with the midfielder having racked up over 300 Premier League appearances and over 90 international caps.

Leeds are currently fifth in the Championship ahead of the return to domestic football after the international break, and will be hoping that their good early season form can continue despite the issues that they face in midfield as they look to go one better than last season’s play-off heartbreak.

Manchester United’s wage bill has often been a contentious talking point over the last few years, as had the club’s transfer business in general, truth be told.

Erik ten Hag hasn’t got an awful lot right during his time at Old Trafford and a lot of the problem stems from a lack of successful signings.

Antony for £82m, you say? Joshua Zirkzee for nearly £40m? While Antony has endured a nightmare stint in English football to date, it is perhaps a little too early to judge the Dutch striker quite yet.

While Zirkzee earns a pretty penny (£105k-p/w) it’s still not nearly as much as the Brazilian winger who takes home £200k-per-week.

While he has done very little to justify that salary – scoring just one Premier League goal last season – fellow winger Alejandro Garnacho who earns £150k-per-week less, certainly has earned his marbles.

Garnacho's season in numbers

That overhead kick last season, oh how good was that overhead kick? Seriously – it’s one of the best Premier League goals we’ve seen.

It was a landmark moment for the Argentine who has only gone from strength to strength since.

Arguably, no player in Ten Hag’s frontline was more consistent than Garnacho last term as he scored ten goals and supplied five assists in 50 matches.

He has started the new campaign in form as well, scoring five and registering three assists throughout the opening couple of months.

The 20-year-old is one of the best young attackers in the Premier League and his latest goal in the 2-1 win over Brentford on Saturday proved as much.

Marcus Rashford looped the ball towards the back post where Garnacho rushed onto it and fired home a lovely cushioned volley into the far corner. It was incredible technique and it was a sublime finish.

His progression has been impressive and it’s because of him that a certain Jadon Sancho ended up being cast aside. Like Antony, he certainly didn’t deserve the huge sum of cash he took home on a weekly basis.

How much Sancho cost Man Utd

While Garnacho has delivered some exquisite performances under the current manager, the same cannot be said for fellow winger, Sancho.

Signed for a sizeable £73m transfer fee from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, this was a coup. It was a Sir Alex Ferguson-type deal. Who is the best young English talent? Sancho, of course, let’s go and get him.

Well, unfortunately, one of the most sought-after names in European football did not deliver once he arrived at Old Trafford.

Things started out rough for the England international under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and they did not get much better. It took him ten league games to break his goalscoring duck and then ended his debut term with just five goals to his name.

In all, Sancho only found the net on 12 occasions in 83 games for United. He also only registered six assists, a far cry from the creative genius we saw at Dortmund. Disagreements with the manager even led to him being alienated from the club midway through the 2023/24 campaign.

As a result, the 24-year-old was sent out on loan. The Englishman did enjoy a mini-revival back in Germany last season – reaching the Champions League final – but it was not enough for him to weave his way back into Ten Hag’s plans.

By that point, he had cost a remarkable £109m when taking into account his transfer fee plus annual salary over three years.

During his first two campaigns in the north west, Sancho earned £250k-per-week, far more than the aforementioned Garnacho, before £3m of his £13m annual salary was paid for by Dortmund in the back end of last season.

Now, the winger plies his trade at Chelsea but he is still technically a Man United player until the loan becomes an official permanent transfer next summer.

For such a game-changing player when on form, this was a remarkable waste of money for United. You’d like to hope they have learnt their lesson.

Next Man Utd manager: Who could replace Erik ten Hag?

Erik ten Hag has been sacked by Manchester United – so who could take over the reins at Old Trafford?

2

By
Stephan Georgiou

Oct 28, 2024

Updates to IFAB's 2024-25 Laws of the Game, paired with competition guideline updates, were announced Thursday

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• MLS announces competition guidelines update
• New "Only the Captain" rule implemented
• Brief schedule update, substitutions clarifications
• Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  MLS announced a competition guidelines update ahead of the 2025 season labeled "Only the Captain" which is being implemented to improve the image of the game while reducing mobbing instances with a referee.

  The aim of the rule is to open a direct line of communication between a club's captain and the match official, with the individual wearing the armband being the only player allowed to approach the referee over key decisions.

  Following key decisions, no other players will be allowed to approach the referee, although the official himself is encouraged to speak with all players throughout a match.

  The referee will designate a space, and signal to the club captain that that space will be where they can communicate. Players who approach that designated space who are not the captain may be issued a yellow card for dissent.

  If a club captain is a team's goalkeeper, a vice captain can be nominated prior to the match.

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  Additionally, MLS will continue to use three substitution windows, with a maximum of five substitutions allowed during the 2025 season. MLS will also implement IFAB’s additional Permanent Concussion Substitutions protocol in 2025.

  The rule permits teams to make one permanent concussion substitution per match, regardless of the number of substitutions or windows used already; it can be used when a player who has an actual or suspected head injury is substituted and takes no further part in the game. When a concussion substitution is utilized, the opposing team is issued an 'additional' substitution and window opportunity.

  With the addition of the league's 30th team in expansion franchise San Diego FC, the schedule format will consist of 34 matches, featuring 17 home and 17 away for each club as well in 2025.

  Clubs will play respective conference opponents twice, once at home and once away, while each club will also play one match against six different cross-conference opponents.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Commissioner Don Garber spoke to SBJ ahead of the 2025 season earlier this week, touching on the league's Apple TV deal, expansion, and more.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MLS?

  The 2025 MLS season begins on Saturday when LAFC host Minnesota United. All 30 teams are set to play opening weekend.

Manchester United are considering the sale of a £300,000-a-week star as new manager Ruben Amorim begins to assess his new squad despite not taking the reins until next week.

The Red Devils are currently under the guidance of Ruud van Nistelrooy, who took over from Erik ten Hag last week on an interim basis. The Dutchman has overseen two games so far, a win against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup and a 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday.

Ruben Amorim pushing Man Utd to sign £30m gem who is similar to Dumfries

United are continuing to identify targets as they look to address a long-term problem in their team.

By
Brett Worthington

Nov 4, 2024

Man Utd news and updates

It will of course be down to Amorim what he wants to do with his coaching staff, but the United players are keen for van Nistelrooy to remain at the club. There is big support from the players for the 48-year-old to remain a part of the team, as they see him as the “connector,” appreciating the way he has communicated with them. The Dutchman has impressed the United hierarchy in terms of the way he carries himself, and the love he has from the supporters has never changed.

That will be a decision that is made once Amorim arrives at the club and holds talks with van Nistelrooy. Away from that, United already have their eye on a player who could be perfect under Amorim, as they are interested in signing Patrick Dorgu. The 20-year-old’s ability to play as a left-back and left-winger means he fits the perfect criteria for what Amorim wants in a left-wing back.

But while they may have their eye on a player arriving at the club, Amorim could be willing to see one of United’s biggest earners leave in the coming months.

Man Utd ready to cash in on Marcus Rashford

According to Football Insider, Manchester United are considering the sale of Marcus Rashford as they still remain concerned about his performances. The 27-year-old came through the ranks at Old Trafford, emerging in the first team during the 2015/16 season under Louis van Gaal.

Since then, Rashford has been a key fixture under several bosses. The Englishman has had two impressive campaigns in the Premier League, scoring 17 goals in both the 2019/20 campaign and the 2022/23 season, when he scored 30 goals in all competitions.

However, since that campaign, Rashford has struggled for form, netting eight times in all competitions last season in what was a very poor campaign for the striker. Rashford, who has been described as “clinical” by Statman Dave, could now be on his way out of Old Trafford.

This report states that Amorim will now be responsible for a “last-gasp assessment”, but an improvement in his performances will be needed if he is going to stay. Rashford, who earns £300,000 a week at United, could finally be moving onto pastures new.

The enigmatic Brazilian winger has made the perfect start to his loan spell in Spain, and the reigning La Liga champions could be his next victims

Let's rewind to January 16, when Manchester United welcomed bottom-of-the-table Southampton to Old Trafford aiming to snap a three-game losing streak on home soil. The Red Devils went in at the break 1-0 down courtesy of an own-goal from Manuel Ugarte, and in a bid to turn the tide, head coach Ruben Amorim brought on Antony for Kobbie Mainoo at the start of the second half.

On the hour mark, Antony was presented with a glorious chance to level proceedings. Alejandro Garnacho burst into the box before firing a low cross to Antony at the back post, and it seemed like a certainty that he would turn the ball into an empty net from barely a yard out. Yet somehow, the Brazilian completely miscued a sliding shot on his weaker right side, and it slowly trickled into the arms of relieved Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

"That’s the miss of the season. I can’t believe that. Why has he gone to ground?" former Rangers and Scotland striker Ally McCoist questioned while commentating on the game for It did not come as a surprise to any of the United fans in the crowd that night, though.

Antony had become a figure of ridicule at Old Trafford long before that moment, having only managed five goals in his previous 60 Premier League appearances, a truly abysmal return from a player who the club paid Ajax £85 million ($108m) for back in August 2023. It did appear to be the final straw, though, as United sanctioned a loan exit for Antony 10 days later after receiving an attractive offer from Real Betis.

That deal effectively cemented Antony's status as one of the biggest flops in United's history – but no one is laughing at him anymore. He has spectacularly silenced his critics in his first month at Betis, and heading into a blockbuster clash against Real Madrid on Saturday, he finds his name up in lights alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr…

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  Instant impact

  According to , Betis agreed to cover 84 percent of Antony's salary during his six-month stay at Estadio Benito Villamarin, which amounts to over £100,000 per week. That was a significant investment for the mid-table La Liga club, but one they firmly believed would pay off, as sporting director Manu Fajardo told : "Antony’s arrival is exciting. From the sporting management and the coaching staff, we understood that we had to improve the second line of attack."

  United, meanwhile, were hoping that Antony could perform well enough to bump up his market value again ahead of a permanent summer transfer, with reporting their ideal sale figure to be around the £34m ($43m) mark. They would have been delighted, then, to see Antony make an instant impact on his debut for Betis.

  Antony went straight into Manuel Pellegrini's line up for a home fixture against Athletic Club, and he created the opening goal in the 15th minute, forcing Athletic goalkeeper Adrian into a full-stretch save that fell kindly for Isco to turn home. Betis were eventually held to a 2-2 draw, but that was by no means a bad result against a team fighting for Champions League qualification, and Antony picked up the Player of the Match award.

  It was a just reward for the Brazilian's dynamic display, as he constantly ran at his marker and showed great composure in the final third. Antony rarely did either of those things at United, and there was another notable change: the big smile etched across his face.

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  Liberated from fear

  Antony needed only 11 minutes to leave a mark in his second game for Betis against Celta Vigo, steering the ball into the far corner of the net for his first league goal of the entire 2024-25 campaign. Diego Llorente then doubled Betis' lead, but a shocking second-half capitulation led to Celta sealing a 3-2 comeback victory.

  A second successive Player of the Match award came as little consolation to Antony, who vented his frustration in a post-match interview with . "We have to change our mentality. We scored two but we have to be focused for the whole game, the 90 minutes," he said. "We have to work to be better. Betis must start and finish well. We have to work harder, and look at what we are not doing well to win the three points."

  Where was that kind of honesty and leadership when Antony was at United?! The former Ajax star seemed to shrink under the pressure of playing for one of the world's biggest clubs, but has looked like a man liberated from fear right from the off in Seville.

  Indeed, two games was all it took for Betis to start pondering an extended stay for Antony. When quizzed on the prospect of signing him outright in the summer, Betis CEO Ramon Alcaron told : "I think so. There is very good chemistry with Manchester [United] and with the player. It is a possibility that he will continue next season, why not?"

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  Transformative

  Five days after the loss at Celta, Antony backed up his strong words to his team-mates by scoring Betis' first goal in a 3-0 Conference League win over Gent, producing a stunning curled shot from outside the box after smartly turning away from two defenders. It was the same type of run and finish he executed regularly at Ajax, but never had the confidence to even attempt at United.

  When Betis returned to La Liga action against Real Sociedad on February 16, all eyes were on Antony again, and he didn't disappoint. Pellegrini's side romped to another 3-0 victory, with a stunning volleyed goal from Antony setting them on their way, and the Brazilian walked away with the MVP award for the third league game in a row.

  Antony's latest stellar display coincided with his parent club falling to 15th in the Premier League after a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham, and there was even talk of United recalling the winger to give Amorim a much-needed extra-option in attack. That unprecedented move never came to fruition, but the mere suggestion was a testament to how much of a transformative signing Antony has been for Betis, who are now right back in the mix for a top-six finish.

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  'Found myself again'

  In a sit-down with Spanish publication , Antony attempted to the explain the reasons behind his resurgence in a Betis shirt. "The most important thing is that I have found myself again. I am happy to be enjoying myself every day," he began. "Things go well when we are well, happy, content… In four games, I scored three goals and gave an assist. I expected it and I didn't expect it. I have worked mentally and physically to get to this moment. I'm very happy."

  Why didn't he feel that way at United? Antony described his initial transfer to Old Trafford as a "dream come true", but seemed to be carrying a weight around his shoulders whenever he took to the pitch. The huge price tag must have had something to do with it. According to , club scouts valued Antony at just £25m when his name first came up, but the number kept rising as United became more desperate in negotiations with Ajax.

  As an £85m player, Antony was left facing an uphill battle to live up to unrealistic expectations. He eventually fell out of favour with ex-Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, and couldn't win his place back after Amorim replaced the Dutchman. Incredibly, though, Antony doesn't consider his time at Old Trafford to be failure.

  The Sao Paulo academy graduate doesn't hold any grudges against Amorim, either, as he added: "I was playing a little, but I was working hard every day. I needed to be happy with myself. The best version of being happy with myself now, of starting well, is very important to me. I am very grateful for everything, for the coach [Ruben Amorim] too, who spoke to me. I have also done very well in Manchester; I won two titles [the FA Cup and Carabao Cup], and I am very grateful. But when I say that here, I have found myself, happiness, the people are like us in Brazil. The sun helps a lot. Every day I wake up with a smile and that is very important."