Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire has lavished praise on Alejandro Garnacho after his Man of the Match display against West Ham United on Wednesday (2 March).
The 18-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign under manager Erik ten Hag, registering four goals and five assists in 27 games across competitions. Garnacho was particularly brilliant against the Hammers in the fifth-round FA Cup tie, where he scored in his team’s 3-1 win.
The Argentine took the ball down brilliantly inside the box and curled a beautiful shot beyond Alphonse Areola to make it 2-1 on the night in the 90th minute. Fred scored in stoppage time to further underline Manchester United’s comeback win after going 1-0 behind in the 54th minute.
Maguire, who has fallen below Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez in the pecking order, was also handed his 10th start across competitions this season. Asked how good Garnacho is after the full-time whistle at Old Trafford, the Englishman said (h/t Metro):
“Very good. He is a young boy with amazing talent, so he has got the world at his feet. If he works hard, pushes every day and trains hard like he is doing at the moment, he will have a big future.”
The Red Devils are eager to extend the teenager’s contract at Old Trafford. His current deal expires at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Garnacho will hope his heroics against West Ham will be enough to earn him a place in Ten Hag’s starting XI against Liverpool on 5 March. He has only started four times in the league this term.
Erik ten Hag praises Old Trafford impact in Manchester United’s win vs West Ham
Manchester United fans were pumped up from the first minute of their team’s FA Cup clash against West Ham United. The Red Devils were fresh off winning the EFL Cup final against Newcastle United on 26 February to end a five-and-a-half-year wait for silverware.
They were right behind their team even after they fell behind to Said Benrahma’s 54th-minute strike. Manchester United persevered and scored thrice without a reply.
After the game, manager Erik ten Hag acknowledged Old Trafford’s role in the win and said (h/t Official club website):
“The togetherness, I think we build it together with the fans. But it start, and I think I said it before, it starts with us, it starts with the team to show energy, to dominate the opponents.
“But then, yeah, this stadium, this fans, the ambience they bring, yeah, that goes back to the players, they are already energised then they get more energised to run faster, to go quicker, to keep going, to do the recovery runs to make the movement without ball in possession.”
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