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Manchester United showed INEOS representative Sir Dave Brailsford what they are capable of in a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Aston Villa.
Not only did Man United overturn a two-goal deficit with a masterclass attacking display in the second half, but they also brought a four-match goal drought to an end, thereby providing fans with some much-needed relief.
While United looked shaky defensively, conceding two soft goals in the first half, there was no question that Erik ten Hag’s team were relentless on the attack, making the most of their goalscoring opportunities.
At the heart of United’s attacking prowess was winger Alejandro Garnacho.
With Marcus Rashford starting at left wing after reclaiming his spot in the starting 11, it was anyone’s guess how Garnacho would cope when being switched to the right flank.
Fortunately for Ten Hag, this tactical decision could not have gone better.
Making 38 touches and completing 17 of 22 attempted passes for a 77% passing accuracy, the 19 year old saw relatively little of the ball compared with most of his teammates.
Still, he made up for the lack of quantity with an abundance of quality.
Garnacho showed great alertness in the final third, completing two of three long balls and making one key pass.
He also led both teams with two shots on target while also getting one shot off target and another shot blocked.
Although the Argentine winger only managed to win three of his seven duels, this did little to dampen his or his team’s performance as his true effectiveness lay in being a goal poacher.
Two minutes after half-time, Garnacho received a cross-field ball from Marcus Rashford which he buried into the back of the net, only for his goal to be ruled offside.
Still, this only seemed to stoke his desire for a goal.
In the 59th minute, Rashford entered the penalty box and picked out Garnacho yet again, with the rising star yet again beating the keeper.
This time, the goal stood.
With 19 minutes left on the clock, Garnacho showed composure in the box as a deflected ball from Bruno Fernandes fell to his feet.
The Argentine scored yet again to draw United level, with Rasmus Hojlund scoring 11 minutes later to hand United the victory.
Garnacho showed yet again why he is a young star to watch, not only for the future but also in the current campaign.
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