Former Aston Villa centre-forward Gabriel Agbonlahor has slammed Manchester United winger Antony and compared him to Arsenal flop Nicolas Pepe.
The Brazil international has had a mixed time since signing from Ajax last summer for a fee of £85 million. He has netted just five goals and provided no assists in 17 games across competitions for his new team.
Arsenal’s £72 million deal to sign Pepe from LOSC Lille Metropole in the summer of 2019 is now widely accepted as a subpar piece of business. He has managed just 27 goals and 21 assists in 112 games across competitions for the Gunners in his first three years.
It was evident that he wasn’t in manager Mikel Arteta’s immediate plans after he was allowed to join OGC Nice on a season-long loan last summer. Agbonlahor has now commented that he is getting the same impression from Manchester United’s Antony.
The Brazilian winger was hauled off for Alejandro Garnacho in the 70th minute in his team’s 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on January 18. Antony was visibly frustrated at being taken off, but he had next to no positive impact on the match.
Speaking on the former Ajax winger’s situation, Agbonlahor told talkSPORT:
“Antony wasn’t happy when he got dragged off but he’s not doing enough. He’s giving me Pepe in Arsenal vibes. Does tricks but doesn’t really beat the player.”
He added:
“For me they need Garnacho to start against Arsenal, they need [Jadon] Sancho back. They need more options on the wing, Antony is not at it at the moment, maybe he will with time but at the moment he’s not doing enough.”
Jadon Sancho returns to training ahead of Manchester United vs Arsenal clash
Manchester United are set to face Arsenal in the Premier League on January 22 as they trail the Gunners by eight points, having played one game more than them.
A win against the Eagles would have raised the stakes in this game even further, but it is still a hugely important match for both sides. In what will come as positive news for Manchester United fans, Jadon Sancho has returned to first-team training, as per the Athletic.
He finally returned to the grass on January 17 and while he was absent against Crystal Palace, fans will hope there is a chance he could feature at the Emirates.
Sancho last played for the Red Devils in his team’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea on October 22. He was then put on an individual training program shortly after.
Manager Erik ten Hag will hope that he is vindicated for his decision to let Sancho train away from the team amidst his poor form. He has managed just two goals in 10 league games this term.
