Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has defended the under-fire winger Antony, saying the player was “as lively as I have seen him all season.”
The Gunners won 3-2 on Sunday to keep their lead atop the Premier League standings. The fans expressed concerns about Antony’s inability to get past players after the loss.
At the Emirates, the Brazil international struggled with his final pass and frequently failed to dribble past the defenders. This was particularly evident in the opening seconds of the second half when Thomas Partey strode across to easily beat him to the ball.
This season, Scholes has been vocal for the former Ajax player, calling him a “one-trick pony” for his antics during a Europa League match in October. But the legendary midfielder has now supported Antony for his display against Arsenal. As reported by The Metro, Scholes said:
“Both teams will be reasonably happy with how they played, I think United will be pleased with stopping Arsenal for the most part and United looked dangerous on the break. I think Antony looked as lively as I have seen him all season so fingers crossed he can create chances and score more goals.”
After levelling the scoreline, Antony was subsequently substituted as Erik ten Hag attempted to add more bodies to the melee Bukayo Saka was causing on United’s left. The Dutchman refused to take any more chances until United fell behind, at which point Garnacho came on to replace Raphael Varane. United held out for a draw until Eddie Nketiah scored the 90th-minute winner.
The fans were puzzled as to why Garnacho did not start earlier at the Emirates after watching him come off the bench to assist Marcus Rashford in his winning goal against Manchester City.
