Erik ten Hag got a lot of things wrong in Manchester United’s defeat to Newcastle. He got a lot of things right in the win over Brentford, though.
The Dutchman only made one change from the side that performed so poorly at the weekend, with Jadon Sancho replacing Wout Weghorst, but mixed things up in midfield by smartly swapping his central midfielders around.
Another key aspect was to keep his faith in Antony. The Brazilian has endured a mixed start to his life at Old Trafford, but has the priceless star quality to influence a game and create game-winning moments on his own. He did just that to win this one.
United were overall better than their weekend showing right from the off, but just as apparent was the continued lack of midfield craft to break down robust defensive sides.
Brentford appeared happy to let the hosts have the ball and put the onus on them to attack, a common theme of frustration in recent weeks.
Without the midfield menace of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro it instead fell to three attacking aces to try and find a way beyond a robust defensive line.
“We need players who can create something with dribbles, with movements, with moments and thinking outside of the box,” Ten Hag had said before the match. “Jadon can do it, Antony dos Santos, Marcus and also Marcel Sabitzer as well.”
They targeted quick exchanges in central midfield and drilled diagonal balls to try and create space, but while that worked to a degree, they struggled for any real cutting edge in the final third.
It was always going to take a moment of magic or a lapse of concentration to have any success. They had both of those things when they finally took the lead.
Antony displayed great skill and poise to lift a delicate dink over the Brentford backline, and when Ethan Pinnock failed to push forward in time, he was severely punished by Sabitzer’s deft lay-off for Rashford.
This was another reminder of the enigmatic talents of Antony, a player who has the technical gift of the Brazilian greats before him, but relies on trickery and tenacity to make his mark rather than pure pace.
It is clear the 23-year-old has a key role to play under Ten Hag in the years to come, but his performance against Brentford was a reminder of the work he still has to do if he is to be a success on the right wing.
In an early opening, David de Gea picked out the forward with a precise long-ball, but with opposition ‘keeper David Raya racing back to his goal, Antony did not have the speed required to make him pay the price.
Instead, he engaged in a foot race with Pinnock who charged back and impressively subdued his threat; such was the predictability of Antony’s desire to cut inside onto his dominant left foot.
That party trick is often held against the former Ajax ace, but what a trick it is. Twice in the first half, he came close to finding the net himself as he inevitably cut inside, but also inevitably beat the defender and curled an effort agonisingly wide.
United’s issue with Antony is that, despite his obvious talent, he adds an imbalance to the attack, and his more methodical approach can often be an awkward fit alongside his teammates’ blistering pace on the break.
Yet while he might need a bit of work, he is certainly a luxury they can afford, and the biggest compliment that can be paid to him is that he always looks like making something happen whenever he gets on the ball.
There are still regular moments of frustration—just ask any fan who had to dodge one of his errant shots on Wednesday night—but until this United team is controlling matches from start to finish, his skill set will be priceless to them.
Ten Hag wanted someone who could create something outside the box. Antony literally did that.
