Pranav Nair
Anthony Elanga dedicates his goal vs Brentford to the Manchester United fans
According to MUTV (h/t Man United official website), Manchester United sensation Anthony Elanga feels honoured after scoring against Brentford in the Premier League on Wednesday.
The Swedish starlet opened the scoring on the night in what can be described as a must-win game for the Red Devils. Brentford did not make life easy for the visitors but Elanga’s first-half strike gave Ralf Rangnick something to build on in the second half.
Sure enough, the German appeared to have worked his magic as Man United were more assertive after the break and showed more intent going forward. Goals from Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford rounded off an impressive 3-1 win.
Speaking after the game, Elanga appeared happy and described scoring for Man United as an honour. It was his first league goal for the senior side since last season’s finale against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The 19-year-old also revealed his gratitude to the travelling support and was glad to repay them by scoring on the night. The journey to London is no short trip and unlike at Villa Park, this time the Man United faithful had reasons to celebrate.
“They’ve made the journey here, a long journey as well, so they deserve that.”
Another star in the making?
It is heartening to see the club’s upcoming stars celebrate the role fans play in our success. To see him strike a chord with them is good to see. There is no reason why Elanga can not develop into a fan favourite should he develop as expected.
“That win is for them and that goal was for them as well.”
Man United have flattered to deceive this season and with Anthony Martial out of the picture, Elanga has a golden opportunity to make a mark at the club. With games set to come thick and fast it remains to be seen if the 19-year-old will get more opportunities to shine.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave a lot of opportunities to Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, and that played a big role in their development as top forwards for the club. If we had loaned them out incessantly or kept them for just the cup games, maybe their growth trajectory would have been different.
More Manchester United News
- Ralf Rangnick credits improved second-half performance for Manchester United’s win over Brentford
- Some Manchester United fans react as Red Devils mark their 300th away win in the Premier League with victory over Brentford
- Chelsea ahead of Manchester United in transfer race to sign Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni
Fans would certainly not mind if Rangnick takes that same path with Elanga. The Swedish starlet, at his young age, has shown his abilities at the top level and the German manager’s trust to start him vs the Bees says a lot. Maybe, it is the beginning of us seeing another academy graduate transitioning into becoming a regular first-team player.
Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo, however talented they may be, are not getting any younger, and Anthony Martial’s future at the club seems to be up in the air. In such a circumstance, Elanga provides a neat little safety net for the club to fall back on in the near future if we do not bring in any new faces up front.
