Eric ten Haag’s faith in Marcus Rashford has paid off with his 30th goal of the season.
United defeated Chelsea 4-1 in the 32nd round of the 2022-23 English Premier League (EPL) at Old Trafford in Manchester, England,먹튀검증 at 4:00 a.m. ET on April 26. With the win, United leapfrogged into third place with 22 wins, six draws, and nine losses (72 points), opening a six-point gap over fifth-place Liverpool and securing a spot in next season’s UCL.
United put Chelsea under intense pressure from the start. The motivation was high, especially in Van Gaal’s first season at the helm, and it showed against Chelsea on the final day of the season.
United took the lead early on. Casemiro opened the scoring in the sixth minute, before Anthony Martial added a second in first-half stoppage time to seal the win.
In the second half, Van Gaal made a number of changes. He brought on Tyrrell Malacia, Alejandro Garnacho, and Fred to try and keep the momentum going. Bruno Fernandez scored the third goal of the game in the 28th minute to effectively end the game.
Rashford also joined the scoring spree. Five minutes after Bruno’s goal, Rashford took advantage of a mistake in the opposition defense and calmly slotted the ball home after Kepa Arrizabalaga was beaten by the keeper. United conceded a late goal through Joao Felix, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome of the game, as United held on for a 4-1 victory and a spot in the UCL.
Rashford scored the final goal of the game, taking him to 30 goals in all competitions this season. According to soccer statistics outlet Opta, Rashford’s 30-goal season is the first by a United player since Robin van Persie in 2012-13.
Rashford’s breakout season has also drawn attention to the leadership of Van Gaal, who has put his faith in him. Van Gaal started Rashford on the left wing against Brighton in his first league game in charge of United this season. Rashford, who was criticized last season for focusing on charity work instead of football, scored just five goals in 32 games in 2021-22, but has been a completely different player this season, netting 30 times.
It’s a testament to Van Gaal’s shrewdness that he recognized Rashford’s potential from his first game. European football transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano also applauded Van Gaal on social media on Saturday, writing, “It’s been a fantastic season for Rashford, but you have to give him credit for believing in him from day one.”
