Wayne Rooney vs Man City, Cristiano Ronaldo vs Juventus, Alejandro Garnacho vs Everton.
Manchester United needed something special to subdue the bear pit atmosphere that greeted them at Goodison Park, but rather than a ‘Welcome to Hell’ they were sent a ‘Goal From Heaven.’
Garnacho has always been talked about as a potential generational talent and one of the most exciting players to graduate from the club’s illustrious academy, and it is clear to see why.
He will hope to achieve far more than he has done so far in the rest of his promising career, but he will now forever be associated with what happened in the second minute of Sunday’s match at Goodison Park.
The Argentine teenager is not the only United youngster who has been earmarked for a bright future at the club, though. Kobbie Mainoo is arguably even more exciting, not that there is much in it.
He was handed his first Premier League start for the huge trip to face Everton on Sunday afternoon and he caught the eye with a composed and well-rounded display at the base of the United midfield.
Mainoo would have already made his full league debut a lot sooner, if not for an unfortunate injury sustained in pre-season, with Erik ten Hag’s faith in the youngster well justified from the mature display he put in.
The Stockport-born starlet has often been compared to Paul Pogba for his combination of both imposing physical attributes and incredible technical ability, both of which were on display in abundance on Sunday afternoon.
Mainoo carried on where he left off following his impressive summer performances, often dropping back to collect the ball from Andre Onana when United looked to play out from the back and showing great maturity with his calmness in possession.
The teenager rarely looked flustered against one of the most robust midfields in the Premier League and it also spoke volumes that his teammates trusted him so much to pass to him in tight positions, such was their faith that he would make the right decision with the ball.
What is so exciting about this talented teenager is not just his frightening ability on the ball, but his awareness of it as well. His personal highlight was arguably the reading of the game he showed when he raced back to clear a certain goal off the line.
Every time United did something good, it invariably had Mainoo at the heart of it, whether it be their best defensive work, transition play, or even build-up to the few chances they had to score a goal.
Not only did he play with freedom in the midfield, he was also tactically disciplined and rewarded the trust that was placed in him by his teammates and the coaching staff.
Even after such a brilliant display, expectations still have to be tempered, yet it is clear to see that Mainoo deserves more opportunities in the near future if he is to have any chance of reaching his full potential.
Garnacho scored one of the best goals ever seen, yet Mainoo somehow still shone just as bright.
