Antony scores after nearly 10 months of goal drought

On the night of January 28th, Antony scored the decisive goal to help Manchester United defeat Newport County 4-2 in the FA Cup 4th round.

Stars shine brightly after leaving MU

In the 68th minute, Luke Shaw penetrated the penalty area and unleashed a right-footed shot that hit the post, with the chance falling fortuitously to Antony. The 2000-born player didn't miss the opportunity, slotting in the rebound to make it 3-2 for Manchester United.

For the first time since his close-range goal against Nottingham in the 2022/23 Premier League match in April last year, Antony found the net for Manchester United in an official game. With better chances, Antony could have even scored a brace or a hat-trick.

If we include friendly matches, Antony has now scored in two consecutive appearances. On January 24th, he also found the net against Burnley from the penalty spot in a closed-door match at Old Trafford.

Not stopping there, the former Ajax star also provided an assist for Manchester United in this match, a backheel pass for captain Bruno Fernandes to open the scoring in the 7th minute. This assist marks Antony's first since May 2023.

In addition to the bright moments from Bruno and Antony, Manchester United added two more goals through Kobbie Mainoo (68') and Rasmus Hojlund (90+4'). However, Manchester United conceded twice to the 4th-tier opponents. This is a hard-to-accept result, especially when Coach Erik ten Hag fielded a strong lineup with the return of key players like Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, and Luke Shaw.

The two goals conceded will likely impact the confidence of Altay Bayindir, the backup goalkeeper making his first start for Manchester United this season. Nevertheless, he managed to leave his mark with a spectacular diving save in the 90+9th minute.

The victory at Rodney Parade advances Manchester United to the Round of 16 in the oldest cup competition in the world. The FA Cup remains the only competition where Erik ten Hag's team has a chance to contend for a title this season.