Nottingham: Antony was at his lethal best as Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the Premier League Sunday, days after the Brazil international was described by manager Erik ten Hag as a player who can “kill opponents.”
Antony scored one goal and made another at the City Ground as United moved up to third and took another step toward Champions League qualification.
The $95 million signing from Ajax opened the scoring when turning the ball over the line after Anthony Martial’s shot was saved by Keylor Navas in the 32nd minute.
And after Forest’s on-loan Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper pulled off a string of saves to prevent United extending the lead, Antony turned provider to set up Diogo Dalot in the 76th.
The forward has been criticized since arriving at Old Trafford last summer for his lack of goals and inconsistent performances. But Ten Hag, who coached Antony at Ajax, has repeatedly defended him.
In the absence of injured leading scorer Marcus Rashford, United needed someone to come up with the goals against Forest and it was Antony who stepped up with his first in the league since October.
He might have scored more if not for the brilliance of Navas, but the former Real Madrid ‘keeper could not deny Dalot after Antony’s weaving run set up the United defender to seal the win.
While United’s Champions League pursuit was boosted, Forest’s hopes of avoiding relegation took another blow after failing to move out of the bottom three.
AP