‘Very good player’: Ten Hag praises two Man United stars, one enjoyed ‘very important’ moment

A solid debut off the bench for Manuel Ugarte, a comfortable afternoon for the seldom-seen Christian Eriksen, some gorgeous Joshua Zirkzee touches, and a much-needed, confidence-boosting strike from Manchester United’s much-maligned number ten Marcus Rashford.

Off the back of a poor, eight goal campaign – and having not scored in his previous four across 2024/25 – the relief was palpable as Rashford’s subtle, curling shot span into the far corner of Aaron Ramsdale’s net just before the interval.

It was a goal that all-but killed off the game as a contest, combined with De Ligt’s opener and Onana’s vital penalty save.