Rashford disasterclass proves Man Utd are desperate for firepower
Man Utd desperately need a goalscorer after Marcus Rashford’s latest disasterclass: Winners and losers as City win Community Shield amid more Wembley misery for Jadon Sancho
If Manchester United were hoping that this would be a season of redemption for Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, they were left disappointed at the first hurdle.
WINNER: Alejandro Garnacho
The Argentine is a man for the big occasion and he simply loves playing at Wembley. He scored the opening goal in the FA Cup final and fittingly broke the deadlock here with a moment of magic.
It was unsurprising that he took matters into his own hands, as just minutes earlier he had put the ball on a plate for Rashford and watched with anguish as his team-mate hit the post. Garnacho used his trickery to waltz across the City defence before producing a deft low finish.
He also took his penalty confidently and it was a big shame he could not collect another medal this time.
LOSER: Jadon Sancho
Wembley is known as the home of football but for Sancho it is a nightmarish place. This was the winger’s fourth final here and he has now lost three times, while missing a crucial penalty on two occasions.
This will be the least painful of his other defeats, the Euro 2020 final with England and this year’s Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund. And yet it must have been frustrating for other reasons.
He was expected to start up front but ended up being benched and only came on in the 83rd minute. Combined with his penalty miss, which handed the momentum to City, this was a dismal start to his second lease of life under Ten Hag.
WINNER: Ederson
The Brazilian goalkeeper was expected to leave and move to Saudi Arabia this summer so merely seeing him in the line-up was a big boost for City fans, if not for his fellow ‘keeper Stefan Ortega.
The German has begun to rival Ederson for the No.1 spot but his performance in the shootout was a reminder of his ability to get his team over the line in the crunch moments.
Not only did he turn away Sancho’s penalty, he also stepped up to take a spot-kick himself and scored. It was a further demonstration that he is a unique goalkeeper, underlining why Guardiola was so keen for him to stay.
LOSER: Marcus Rashford
Ten Hag had hyped Rashford up ahead of the game, saying he looked sharp in pre-season and was ready to compensate for his disappointing campaign. And yet when push came to shove, Rashford looked just like he did last year, lacking in confidence and missing big chances.
The striker failed to hit the target after a sizzling team move in the first half although it was not exactly a sitter. But his second opportunity, presented to him on a plate by Bruno Fernandes and then Garnacho, was a must-score moment. Rashford did not look as if he was going to find the net, though, taking the shot without conviction and instead hitting the near post.
He looked gutted and so did his team-mates. There is extra pressure on Rashford to deliver in front of goal as Rasmus Hojlund is out of action for the next month and Joshua Zirkzee will need time to adjust to his new team. Budding forwards hoping to join United could be in luck, though, as Rashford’s display underlined the need for a more clinical finisher.
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