Cristiano Ronaldo's performance against Arsenal showed the vital role the five-time Ballon d'Or winner still has to play at Manchester United.
Erik ten Hag left Ronaldo out of United's starting line-up for the fourth successive Premier League match on Sunday. The 37-year-old replaced debutant and goalscorer Antony just before the hour mark with the game finely poised at 1-0.
Bukayo Saka scored just minutes later to give the Gunners a route back into the game as they looked to potentially find a winning goal themselves. However, United remained calm as they absorbed pressure and hit Arsenal with two devastating counter-attacks inside nine minutes of each other.
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Marcus Rashford calmly slotted past Aaron Ramsdale in the 66th minute after being played through by a sumptuous Bruno Fernandes through ball. Christian Eriksen then provided a tap-in for the striker on the 75th minute as the Reds made it 3-1 thanks to Rashford's second goal of the game.
Although he did not grab the headlines, Ronaldo's impact on the match was crucial. With the scores level at 1-1, the Portugal captain international forced Sambi Lokonga into losing possession within United's half with some excellent pressing - three passes and 10 seconds later, it was 2-1 to United.
Ronaldo did not relent with his pressing as he forced Ramsdale into a wayward pass as the forward breathed down the goalkeeper's neck. Fernandes was unable to capitalise on the mistake as the Arsenal shot-stopper rushed out to deny the United midfielder's attempt to chip the ball over him.
For United's third goal, Ronaldo was surrounded by six Arsenal players on the halfway line, allowing Eriksen the freedom to run on to Fernandes' through-ball - providing Rashford with the simplest of finishes. The forward's mere presence on the pitch was enough to shift the Gunners' focus away from the rest of his teammates, creating the space for the goal.
The former Real Madrid and Juventus striker may well have scored a goal himself, were it not for a poor pass from Fred. A rather comical mistake from Granit Xhaka saw the Arsenal midfielder slip over his own feet on the touchline, as Fred pounced to keep the ball in play. Ronaldo was in acres of space on the edge of the Arsenal box, but the United midfielder could not find the pass that would have seen Ronaldo one-on-one with Ramsdale in the 83rd minute.
Despite not starting the game or making the headlines, Ronaldo demonstrated in his half-hour cameo why he is still such an important asset to this United team.
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