New signing Antony scores on United debut
Manchester United’s new signing Antony has made a dream start to his career with the club, marking his first appearance with a goal againt Premier League rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford.
Antony had stated that he could not wait to play for United, and in fact, manager Erik ten Hag gave him his debut just three days after his signing was completed.
In the 35th minute he took his chance, latching on to a Marcus Rashford pass, and curled the ball past Aaron Ramsdale to open the scoring.
The Brazilian is the first Red to score on his debut since Donny van de Beek, who was also signed from Ajax, found the net against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on 19 September 2020.
"He will have wanted to impress, of course he will, given the heavy price tag on his shoulders, but that's between the clubs.
"Now he's got his first goal and what a finish it was, from a fantastic ball by Marcus Rashford. We were right behind it and as soon as it left Antony's boot, we knew where it was going."
The 22-year-old started on the right-hand side of Ten Hag’s side, but he can play a variety of positions including left wing and striker.
After playing for 58 minutes on his exhilarating debut, the goalscorer was rested with substitute Cristiano Ronaldo coming on in his place.
Antony is the 100th Brazilian to play in the Premier League (according to BBC Radio 5 Live), and the ninth from his country to represent the Reds, joining the likes of Fred, Casemiro and Alex Telles.
Antony | The signing interview
When you watch Antony's signing interview, you'll understand why Erik ten Hag loves him as both a player and a person...
When asked in his arrival interview how much it meant to join United, Antony was overjoyed with the prospect of becoming the Reds’ next exciting forward.
“It’s my dream come true," said the Brazilian.
"I’m really grateful for the support and faith shown in me by everyone here. I want to make history here, I hope to achieve great things with the club.”