Match Rewind: Choose your Rashford classic

Three times each week during the current lockdown, we've been asking fans to vote for which Manchester United game they want us to stream in full, for free, via our Official App and the ManUtd.com homepage.

 

Each time there's a specific category or theme to choose from, and this time we're focusing on arguably the star of 2019/20 so far: Marcus Rashford.

 

The Academy graduate had netted a whopping 19 goals by mid-January, when an untimely injury in the FA Cup replay with Wolves forced him out of action. And despite his tender age of just 22, Marcus has already provided Reds across the world with many unforgettable moments during his five seasons in the first team.

 

So this weekend, in his honour, we're asking you to vote for one of the following Rashford classics...

 

 

Rashford famously gatecrashed world football when handed an unexpected start against Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League back in 2016. But despite this instant achievement, many wondered if the early impact might be beginners' luck. But when United took on Arsenal in the Premier League three days later, Marcus simply delivered the same again. Four goals in two games. Not bad for starters, eh?

The 18-year-old terrorised the Gunners from minute one in this topsy-turvy classic at Old Trafford. A dangerous Guillermo Valera cross from the right gave Rashford his first opportunity. When the ball spilled loose, Marcus was quickest to react, powering the ball high into the net to claim his first top-flight goal. Three minutes later, he glanced home Jesse Lingard's left-footed cross to make it two. A deflected Ander Herrera strike made it three for United in the second period and, although Danny Welbeck and Mesut Ozil gave the Londoners hope of earning a point, Rashford's two goals deservedly won the day for Louis van Gaal's United.

 

 

Rashford's blazing breakthrough season barely let-up for a second – not even when United visited the Etihad Stadium seeking their first win in east Manchester since 2012. A strong City team controlled the possession throughout, but United's devastating pace on the counter, derived via the trio of Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard, proved deadly.

The Blues' first mistake was selecting veteran defender Martin Demichelis at centre-back. Despite his vast reserves of experience, the Argentinian was slowing down, and it quickly became evident that he was in for a torrid afternoon, as Rashford ghosted past him repeatedly. United's goal came from a move entirely in keeping with that theme: slipped in by Juan Mata's patient and well-timed pass, Rashford nicked the ball by the defender and then slid it nervelessly past England stopper Joe Hart. It was the only goal of the match, helping United close the gap on our rivals to just one point and making Rashford the youngest goalscorer in the Manchester derby during the Premier League era.

 

 

United came into this grudge match at Old Trafford second but just two points ahead of the resurgent Merseysiders, who had been buoyed by the January addition of Virgil van Dijk – then the world’s most expensive defender. Rashford made his first league start since Boxing Day and, aided by the physical prowess of Romelu Lukaku, quickly set about giving the Dutchman and his partner Dejan Lovren a torrid opening half an hour.

The homegrown prodigy latched on to Lukaku’s flick-on before dispatching beyond Loris Karius, and repeated the trick 10 minutes later after van Dijk had failed to clear. Eric Bailly’s own goal midway through the second half made the closing stages nervy for Jose Mourinho’s men, but Rashford’s early salvo was enough to secure a key win over our arch-rivals.

 

 

Jose Mourinho's first managerial return to Old Trafford since departing as boss – and just his third match in charge of Tottenham – had the world keenly focused on this heavyweight Premier League clash in December 2019. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side had performed erratically in our two previous league games – a see-sawing 3-3 draw against Sheffield United and a 2-2 stalemate with Aston Villa – but we leapt out of the traps here, with Rashford leading a blistering one-man charge. 

 

The 22-year-old's rifled shot in the sixth minute was too hot for Spurs goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga to handle, giving the Reds the lead, and Rashford then hit the bar with a sensational 30-yard piledriver midway through the first period. United should have put the game to bed before the 30-minute mark but, against the run of play, Dele Alli equalised with a finessed finish of his own. But Rashford returned for the second period determined to wrestle the game back in United's favour. A sublime solo run in the first seconds of the new half earned the Reds a penalty, and the no.10 slotted home himself to restore the one-goal advantage that would ultimately secure the game.

 

You can select which of the four matches you want to see by voting in our Match Rewind live blog.

 

The vote closes at 16:00 BST on Saturday (9 May) and we’ll show the winning game in full, and for free, on the Official App and ManUtd.com at 19:00 BST later that evening.