"Done more in six months" – Jamie Carragher compares Manchester United duo as he delivers damning verdict after Europa League exit
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher recently contrasted Manchester United pair Antony and Jadon Sancho following their UEFA Europa League elimination at the hands of Sevilla.
Manchester United failed to progress to the semi-finals of the continental competition after crashing to a 5-2 quarter-final loss on aggregate against Sevilla on Thursday, April 20. Youssef En-Nesyri bagged a brace and Loic Bade scored a second-half header to help their side register a 3-0 win at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in the second leg of the tie.
Both Antony and Sancho started the away leg of the knockout clash, but neither of them managed to shine on opposite flanks. While the former was one of the better performers for the Red Devils with four chances created, the latter was substituted off for a half-fit Marcus Rashford after the break.
Taking to Twitter, Carragher defended Antony's outing, comparing him to Sancho in the process. He wrote:
"Antony has done more in six months than Sancho has in two years. Yet Antony gets plenty of criticism & Sancho gets very little."
Antony has done more in six months than Sancho has in two years.
Yet Antony gets plenty of criticism & Sancho gets very little 🤷♂️ #SEVMUN
Antony, 23, has faced a lot of criticism since arriving from Ajax for a staggering fee of £86 million last summer. He has registered eight goals and two assists in 38 matches across all competitions for the Red Devils this season.
Sancho, on the other hand, has been an underwhelming signing for Erik ten Hag's side. Since arriving from Borussia Dortmund for £73 million in 2021, he has scored just 10 goals in 69 overall games for the Old Trafford outfit.
Erik ten Hag defends Manchester United star following Sevilla defeat
Speaking at a post-match press conference, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag defended David de Gea despite his horrific performance in his team's recent 3-0 loss against Sevilla.
De Gea, 32, was twice the culprit during the Red Devils' away defeat in Seville. He made a poor pass to Harry Maguire in the buildup to Youssef En-Nesyri's first goal before carelessly rushing out of his area for the third goal.
De Gea, a former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper, has registered 14 clean sheets in 30 Premier League games this season. He has overseen 21 shutouts in 48 matches across all competitions in the ongoing 2022-23 campaign.
Ten Hag told reporters:
"He is the one with the most clean sheets in the Premier League; that shows he is a very capable goalkeeper."
Manchester United are next set to take on Brighton & Hove Albion in their FA Cup semi-final clash at the Wembley Stadium on Sunday, April 23. The winner is set to face either Manchester City or Sheffield United in the final.