Ash Donelon's Shots of the Season: Part One

During the Premier League game with Wolves at Old Trafford on Monday 14 August.

 

“Our opening Premier League match against Wolves was a tense affair, so when Raphael Varane broke the deadlock late in the second half, the sense of elation inside Old Trafford was palpable. Although I took a few frames of the goalscorer celebrating in front of the fans, my favourite shot happened when Bruno joined in and leapt above everyone. When United score a winner at home, there’s no better place to be in the world, and I hope this photo captures that joyous feeling.”

During the Premier League game with Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday 26 August.

 

“Football is essentially a series of mini-battles all over the pitch, and my favourite type of battle to photograph is attacker against defender. Conceding twice inside the first four minutes meant United needed to score quickly, and I captured this image when Marcus Rashford turned on the pace and raced towards the byline. As the ball is right in-between the two players and each has an outstretched leg, you can’t be sure who will prevail – the margin between victory and defeat appears extremely fine. Thankfully, in this case, Marcus was unstoppable, and he played a clinical pass to Christian Eriksen, whose deft finish started the comeback.”

During the Premier League game with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday 23 September.

 

“When photographing a match you can never predict when the decisive moment will occur, so you need to stay alert at all times. I thought I’d captured United’s first goal in the new third kit when Jonny Evans headed the ball into the Burnley net, but my joy was short-lived thanks to VAR so I had to wait a few more minutes to get the shot I wanted. I didn’t have a clear view of Jonny’s superb looping pass, but I saw the ball suddenly drop in from the top of my camera viewfinder and was able to get a photo of Bruno Fernandes connecting with it. Although it was all over in a split-second, it was a sublime strike that will live long in the memory.”

PHOTO NO.4: EYE IN THE SKY

Before the Carabao Cup tie with Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Tuesday 26 September.

 

“In my time as club photographer, I’ve taken photos all around Old Trafford, from lying down at the edge of the pitch, to being up on the roof in between the floodlights. It’s difficult to pick a favourite vantage point, but one of the most incredible positions is in the TV camera gantry suspended from the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand roof, as it feels like you’re watching the match on the world’s biggest television. I took this picture using a fisheye lens, as its ultra-wide field of view helped create an immersive image of the packed stadium bowl just before kick-off.”

 

Before the Premier League game with Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Saturday 30 September.

 

“On a matchday, I’ll photograph the squad entering Old Trafford a few hours before kick-off, but I feel the real moment of arrival is when they first emerge from the players’ tunnel. Both teams traditionally walk out side-by-side for the start of the game, whereas for the warm-ups, each team comes out separately, and United always sprint onto the pitch. For this photo I positioned my camera directly on the grass behind the corner flag; this low angle allowed me to frame the Manchester United sign above Bruno’s head, and I used a fast shutter speed to freeze the action of his run.”