There was something special and unique about each of Manchester United's two goals against Everton in front of the Gwladys Street End on Sunday night.
First, Antony became the only United player in history to score in all of his first three Premier League appearances for the club, following his earlier exploits against both Arsenal and Manchester City, before Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 700th goal of his club career. Both strikes will be remembered fondly, albeit for very different reasons.
It was the perfect way for United to bounce back in the Premier League following their 6-3 humbling at City seven days earlier. Although Erik ten Hag watched his side concede six times at the Etihad Stadium, he will have at least taken some comfort from the fact Antony scored a Goal of the Season contender and Anthony Martial, who was forced off injured with less than half an hour on the clock at Goodison Park on Sunday evening, scored twice.
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It means that United's attackers, albeit slowly, are beginning to find the net. Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Antony, Ronaldo and Martial have all scored in the Premier League so far this season, sharing 11 of the Reds' 13 league goals. They have also shared 16 of the 18 goals United have scored in all competitions.
The only anomalies among United's collection of Premier League goals so far this term are the ones that Bruno Fernandes scored in the 1-0 win over Southampton and the own-goal that was scored for them in the opening day defeat to Brighton. While there is no doubt that Ten Hag should expect goals at a regular rate from his forward players, it might be a slight concern to him that nobody else is chipping in from other areas of the team.
Only five clubs in the Premier League have had fewer different goalscorers than United so far this season, pointing to their over-reliance on their attackers. United's midfield boasts seasoned attacking midfielders in Christian Eriksen and Fernandes, who have only scored one goal between them so far this season in all competitions.
While Eriksen has adopted a more reserved role in Ten Hag's preferred way of playing, there is still an expectancy for him to chip in with goals and ease the pressure on the likes of Rashford and Martial. The same can be said of Fernandes, who has established himself as a goalscoring midfielder since arriving at Old Trafford in January 2020.
Admittedly, United's supporters would be right to feel far more concerned if their forwards were the ones who weren't chipping in with goals at a regular rate, as opposed to their midfielders and defenders. However, considering the steady progress the Reds are continuing to make under Ten Hag, the prospect of the goals being shared across the board would give them a greater chance of progressing further.
The fact that Rashford has already equalled his tally for the whole of last season in all competitions already, Antony has scored in every Premier League appearance so far and Martial is looking sharp when fit are all positives Ten Hag deserves credit for. They have all adhered to his demands and he is directly responsible for bringing the best out of Rashford and Martial.
However, managers are constantly demanding everyone within their teams to chip in with goals where they can, meaning Ten Hag must start asking his midfielders to take up better positions in attacking scenarios and call upon his defenders to try to get on the end of corners and set-plays where they can. Sharing the goals will ease the burden on the forward players and give United a more complete look.
You cannot be too over-reliant on your forward players, regardless of the options available. Ten Hag is fortunate to have a pool of world-class attackers, all of whom, to their credit, have stepped up when required so far this season.
However, with the likes of Fernandes and Eriksen on the pitch, there is a degree of expectancy to chip in now and again and ease the burden. If Ten Hag and his coaching staff can solve this minor issue, United could soon become an even greater force.
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