Rashford and Antony shine in turn: MU paradox

Marcus Rashford and Antony have both shone, especially in the European Cup, while MU's expensive attack line has not really connected.

Sublimation after leaving MU

In top-flight football, paradoxes often appear as a quirk of fate. MU , in an effort to rebuild after many shaky seasons, brought in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin S e s ko .

The trio are seen as the foundation bricks for a long-term project. However, while Old Trafford is still an unstable picture, MU fans witnessed Marcus Rashford and Antony taking turns shining in the new colors .

Antony played top-class football against Nottingham. Photo: EFE

Just a few months ago , Rashford and Antony were seen as a burden, even banned from training with the MU first team during the pre-season.

They left in the final hours of the transfer window, in a mood of both release and desire to express themselves .

The paradox is that when the pressure of Old Trafford is removed, they are revived. Rashford has adapted to Barcelona as if the dark season had never happened, and Antony, in the green shirt of Betis, has found his natural spontaneity .

The numbers don't lie . Rashford, with Lamine Yamal mysteriously injured, has taken advantage of the situation with 2 goals and 2 assists in just 3 recent games in all competitions - notably a double against Newcastle in the Champions League.

This is quite an impressive achievement, proving the rebirth. Only Ferran Torres (4) and Raphinha (3) have scored more goals than Rashford. He, Yamal and Dani Olmo lead the list of assists.

Antony was more modest, but also exploded on his Europa League debut : scoring 1 goal and 1 assist in Real Betis' 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest.

Meanwhile, the trio that United put their trust in have not been able to bring smiles. Cunha and S e s ko are still empty-handed , have not scored or assisted.

Rashford is finding joy at Barca. Photo: EFE

Mbeumo was more outstanding with 2 goals. However, one of them was scored against Grimsby Town – a team in the Fourth Division of England – in the League Cup, a match that MU still got eliminated. A goal of no value , except for the mental factor for himself .

Paradox

It was thought that Rashford had reached his ceiling at MU , where pressure, expectations and personal conflicts stifled his inspiration to play football.

At Barca, on the other hand, the Englishman seems to just need to fit into a system that already works: sprints down the left wing, effective crosses, and the occasional spontaneous moment to find his instincts.

A relaxed, free and therefore effective Rashford. The super goal against Newcastle is proof.

As for Antony , he waited all summer in the hope of going to Betis – where he exploded last season, leading the Sevilla team to the Conference League final (lost 1-4 to Chelsea).

The Brazilian was magical against Nottingham to help Betis get a point. By the way, this is the opponent who took all 6 points when meeting MU in the Premier League last season (3-2 at Old Trafford; 1-0 at home at City Ground).

After a noisy summer, the paradox is showing signs of coming back to haunt MU . While the two "surplus players" soon found their light in a new environment, the "chosen ones" are struggling.

MU's new attack only has Mbeumo who knows how to score. Photo: Imago

Mbeumo runs a lot and moves intelligently, but is not strong enough to lift the whole team . S e s is not too young and seems to have not found the Premier League rhythm. Cunha only stood out in a few dribbles, but was not effective.

Old Trafford was filled with applause when the transfer window closed, having bought three expensive strikers and pushed away players that Ruben Amorim didn't like, but now there were sighs.

In football, sometimes integration defies logic. The performances of Rashford and Antony reflect that (not to mention, Rasmus Hojlund also scored 1 goal in 3 games for Napoli) .

Football is a mirror reflecting the paradoxes of life. MU is looking at itself in that mirror.

They saw Rashford smiling at Barcelona , ​​saw Antony raise his arms in the air at Benito Villamar in n, while at Old Trafford the new faces still need time to bond.

This weekend (6:30 p.m. September 27), Brentford is 4th from bottom, conceding 2 goals/match in the 2025/26 Premier League, which is an opportunity for MU's new attack to overcome the paradox.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/rashford-antony-bung-no-nghich-ly-mu-cua-ruben-amorim-2445944.html