Sancho finally breaks his goal drought as Manchester United get the better of Villarreal
Manchester United fans can smile for now. After back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Watford, the Red Devils returned to winning ways on Tuesday evening.
It’s been a very drab week for the club, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being axed after a series of disappointing results. However, there were some encouraging signs against Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League.
Caretaker manager Michael Carrick made some big changes to the starting line-up, handing starts to Donny van de Beek and Alex Telles while benching Bruno Fernandes.
Despite struggling for much of the first half, Manchester United ended the game strongly with a 2-0 win following goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho.
First United goal ✅
Player of the Match ✅
Knockouts secured ✅
Congratulations, @Sanchooo10! 🔥
#MUFC | #UCL https://t.co/T8BpxPOL4Y
Sancho finally off the mark
Ronaldo’s goal came in the 78th minute and allowed the Reds to seize the initiative. However, Sancho’s late strike was more celebrated among the Manchester United faithful.
The 21-year-old hasn’t had the desired impact at Old Trafford since making his big-money move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, but he has never downed tools.
The England forward was a lively presence against Watford last week and the only thing he lacked was a goal to complement his efforts. Fortunately, though, he finally ended his drought after scoring against Villarreal.
Sancho’s talent has never been in doubt and it was only a matter of time before he settled in at Manchester United. With his first goal now in the bag, many more are bound to follow.
Jadon Sancho's game by numbers vs. Villarreal:
100% shot accuracy
100% final ⅓ pass accuracy
40 passes
6 ball recoveries
4 tackles made
2 crosses
2 shots
1 goal
Finally off the mark. #UCL https://t.co/35FOeDRiKU
Sancho now ready to play big role at Manchester United
Amongst the Reds’ summer signings, Sancho was perhaps the most unfortunate. He returned from the European Championships with an injury that kept him out of the opening weeks of the season.
And when he was fit, the team was going through a bad run of form. However, he was signed to be a mainstay in the team and he is now ready to do that after breaking his duck.
"For Jadon, it’s a massive boost. It’s a big goal for him, but it was about his performance overall. We know how much Jadon likes the ball at his feet, you see the smile on his face, but the pleasing thing for me was the effort and application he put in," Carrick said after the game, as quoted by BT Sport.
"At times he was not seeing a lot of the ball but he was always doing a job and playing a big part in the team’s performance. In the end, you get your rewards and I’m delighted for him.
"I think Jadon epitomised the team performance. It’s up to Jadon now what happens next and how he kicks on. He’s got all the talent in the world and he’ll get all our support for sure."
Sancho’s maiden goal for Manchester United will only further boost his confidence and he can now kick on and deliver the performances that many expected when he joined the Reds.