Man Utd
Antony’s resurgence at Betis: praised as a mix of Neymar’s flair and Cristiano’s drive
Antony has rediscovered form at Betis, praised as a blend of Neymar flair and Cristiano focus. anew.
Antony’s career took a marked turn after a difficult spell at Manchester United, with his loan to Real Betis sparking a clear on-field revival. Signed on loan for the second half of last season, he was an immediate influence and was voted MVP in each of his first two outings in green and white, having managed just one Player of the Match award across 62 Premier League appearances.
Under Manuel Pellegrini the forward found space and freedom. He finished the campaign with nine goals and five assists as Betis secured sixth place in La Liga and advanced to the Conference League final. Betis captain Marc Bartra has been among the loudest admirers. “For me, he has that Brazilian quality and talent,” Bartra gushed to MundoBetis. “I always say he’s a bit of a mix of Neymar and Cristiano: that Cristiano mentality of always striving for more and being incredibly focused.”
Those comparisons will resonate with Antony, who has long cited the La Liga greats among his inspirations. “The art of Ronaldinho and Cristiano and Neymar inspired me as a child,” he told The Players’ Tribune in 2022. “I watched these Gods in amazement on stolen WiFi, then I went out to the concrete pitch to try to imitate their genius.”
Bartra attributes part of Antony’s transformation to a shift in environment and mentality. “I also remember it very well from my experience when I came from [Borussia] Dortmund. I arrived in the winter, and it was like a shot of something special, a feeling of respect and affection from minute one.
“I saw him the same way, in that win-win situation, you could say. Betis won with him, and he won with Betis.
“I felt very connected to him, and on top of that, you could see that the team has a wonderful group of people who give you your space, your place, make you feel good, and have fans who love them.”
Antony’s time at Old Trafford had begun with early goals, including strikes in each of his first three Premier League appearances, but produced only two more goals over the following three years. His stint in England was also overshadowed by allegations of domestic abuse that emerged in September 2023; Antony denies all accusations. “I think that, apart from my football life, my personal life got in the way a lot, because of the things I went through, the moments I lived there,” he explained to ESPN Brasil last season. “Like it or not, it’s affected me a lot.”
A return to Betis in the summer followed, despite reports of a more lucrative move to Bayern Munich, and Antony explained his motivation plainly: “I always look at happiness first, and I was very happy here,” he said when explaining why he opted to return to Betis in the summer despite being supposedly offered a more lucrative move to Bayern Munich.
Man Utd
Šeško Nears Return as United Seek Cover During Busy Winter
Agent says Benjamin Šeško is close to returning after nearly a month out, offering relief to United.
Benjamin Šeško, the 22-year-old summer signing, is close to returning from an injury that has kept him out for almost a month, his agent Elvis Basanovic has said. Basanovic told Arena Sport that the striker’s rehabilitation is progressing well and that a comeback could be only days away.
“Benjamin [Šeško] is feeling very good, his rehab is going as planned,” Basanovic said, via ESPN . “He’s really eager to return to the pitch, he misses playing.
“He’s missing games and he’s a bit impatient, so hopefully he’ll be back soon and be where he feels most comfortable. But I think we’ll see him very soon on the field, perhaps even sooner than it might seem at this moment.”
Šeško had been in the early phase of adjusting to the Premier League when the setback interrupted his momentum. His imminent availability comes at a timely moment for Manchester United, with fellow attacking summer signing Bryan Mbeumo bound to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations within the next week.
United face a congested winter programme and the return of Šeško would increase manager Amorim’s options during a demanding period on the calendar. Having another forward fit and ready would help the manager rotate and cope with absences across competitions.
Basanovic also urged patience while praising the manager who played a role in the transfer. “I must say he [Amorim] received Benjamin excellently,” Basanovic said. “I think Ruben first of all is an excellent person with fantastic charisma, extremely intelligent, emotionally intelligent and I think he knows what he’s doing.
“It’s not easy to build such a project that requires enormous knowledge and intelligence. United is one of the biggest clubs in the world , if not the biggest and people don’t understand you need time.
“He is a manager with his own vision to bring United to the top, but he definitely needs time.” The Portuguese manager has also asked fans to be patient after Šeško’s difficult start to life in England.
Man Utd
Amorim admits uncertainty over De Ligt after he misses matchday squad despite 4–1 win
Amorim confirms uncertainty over Matthijs de Ligt’s return after he missed the Wolves match. today.
Manchester United secured a 4–1 victory over the Premier League’s bottom side, but the result was accompanied by fresh concern after centre back Matthijs de Ligt failed to make the matchday squad.
Manager Ruben Amorim had initially been optimistic about the injury suffered by the Dutch international, but that optimism appears to have been tempered by De Ligt’s absence from the Wolves fixture. Amorim selected two natural full backs, Luke Shaw and Noussair Mazraoui, to operate in central defence alongside young Ayden Heaven. Lisandro Martínez, still getting back to full fitness, and Leny Yoro were named among the substitutes.
Asked for an update on De Ligt’s condition, Amorim refused to offer a timeline for a return. “I don’t know, sometimes you have an idea and then you have to see day by day,” Amorim conceded. “I am not going to say when he is coming back.” Those comments underline the uncertainty surrounding a player who was not available for selection on Monday.
United’s defensive vulnerabilities were exposed briefly against Wolves, with the hosts — who have two points from 15 games this season — managing to score only their eighth goal of the campaign to level the match at 1–1 by half-time. It was not, however, an accurate reflection of United’s overall control of the game.
Amorim used his interval team talk to underline that point and praised his players for their reaction after the break. “I’m feeling good,” Amorim reflected. “I think we played well, most of the time. I think we disconnected a little bit after the first goal, that hurt us. But in the second half, everyone felt we were there to win the game and that was a good feeling.
“It’s really good that [fight in the second half], but we need to be concerned about how we concede a goal when we have full control of the game. We are so near to score a second goal to kill, a little bit, the game. But I’m pleased with the response after half-time.
“It was so clear we are dominating the games but not finishing the plays as we should do. We need to be better in the details. [I was] trying to explain to the players we have 45 minutes to win the three points that are crucial for our life.”
Man Utd
United climb to sixth after convincing 4-1 win at Wolves
United 4-1 Wolves; Fernandes brace, Mbeumo and Mount scored. United level with Chelsea on points…
Manchester United produced a commanding 4-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday, a result that moves the visitors up to sixth in the Premier League table. Bruno Fernandes scored twice and was deeply involved in United’s attacking play, while Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount also found the net. Wolves’ goal came from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, the hosts’ first Premier League goal since October.
The match swung quickly. United took the lead when Matheus Cunha dispossessed André and set up Fernandes, who turned away from Emmanuel Agbadou to finish off an improvised move. Wolves responded in first-half stoppage time when a throw-in developed into a David Møller Wolfe delivery finished by Bellegarde.
United’s response after the interval was rapid. Luke Shaw won the ball inside his own half and United moved forward; Cunha played in behind to Diogo Dalot, whose cross found Mbeumo to restore the lead. Mount extended the advantage with a volley from a lofted through ball by Fernandes. The Portugal international completed the scoring from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute after Yerson Mosquera was penalised for handball.
United finished the match with a clear statistical advantage: 60 percent possession, 14 total shots and five on target, compared with Wolves’ 40 percent possession and three shots. The visitors created the better chances and controlled large portions of the game as they took the three points back to Manchester.
Individual performances were notable. Fernandes was the standout with a 9.4 rating, Mbeumo earned an 8.5, and Matheus Cunha registered 8.0 for his contributions in the build-up. Amad Diallo and Diogo Dalot both received 7.9, Casemiro 7.3 and Mason Mount 7.4. Goalkeeper Senne Lammens was given 6.9. Among substitutes, Lisandro Martínez was rated 6.5, Leny Yoro 6.6 and Kobbie Mainoo 6.1; Patrick Dorgu and Joshua Zirkzee were listed N/A.
The result leaves United level on points with fourth-place Chelsea ahead of their clash with Bournemouth at Old Trafford next Monday.
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