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United Pull Road Upset in Paris

Favorites PSG Reeling After 2-1 Home Upset to Manchester United

By Felix Short | April 5, 2022, 11:59 PM EST

19-year-old Anthony Elanga scored the game evening goal in the 54th minute (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Paris, France – Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United made the trip to the Parc-des-Princes in the French Capital and came away with a 2-1 win in the first leg of the Champions League Quarterfinals over the tournament favorite Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night. The highly anticipated quarterfinal bout that pits some of the world’s biggest names against each other, had no lack of dramatic fun for unbiased viewers as Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Bruno Fernandes, Neymar and a host of other world class players put their best foot forward in front of a tremendous crowd in Paris.

PSG fed off the crowd in the early going and dominated the early run of game. In fact, United did not get possession of the ball until the sixth minute of the game. At that point, Franck Kessié has already launched a bullet toward goal, saved by a well-positioned De Gea. PSG dominated the first ten minutes of the game, and it was quickly apparent that this game was going to be played with the Parisians on the front foot. United didn’t get their first legitimate chance in the home half until the fifteenth minute when Marcus Rashford was given a chance off a counterattack. He put the ball wide, allowing Paris Saint-Germain to once again take control of the game. They did so for much of the first half, and David De Gea had to make two more spectacular saves off chances from Mbappé and Messi in the 22nd and 26th minutes.

Still, United held strong defensively for much of the first half. That changed in the 45th minute when PSG was given the chance to counter on a disorganized United. Neymar took the ball down the right wing before cutting towards the goal along the baseline. He passed it to a wide open Franck Kessié just outside the box. Kessié played a quick entry touch into Mbappé who then put it in space for Kessié to get off a powerful slam. He did and De Gea had no chance against this one. Paris Saint-Germain brought in the Ivorian during the January transfer window to help them win the Champions League, and 45 minutes in, Franck Kessié had delivered. That goal delivered a halftime lead to the home team, and had Paris feeling good about their chances.

But the feeling on the pitch was slightly different in the second half. Les Parisiens didn’t have the same tempo or control in the second half, having seemingly taken a bit off the gas pedal. That would make all the difference. With a bit more possession and a bit less frantic frenzy, United were able to get their offense going, by getting the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo earned United’s best chance to date in the 49th minute, putting it past Keylor Navas, but also putting it just wide of the net from twelve yards out. Nevertheless, the moment put United back in the game and a nervous energy filled the Parisian crowd.

A bit of nerves may have crept into the PSG field players too, as just a few minutes later, Fred forced a turnover by Achraf Hakimi. Fred put the ball forward to Bruno Fernandes, who found Ronaldo in the wide area. Ronaldo collected the ball, forced Marquinhos to approach him, then dumped it into the vacated area, where 19-year-old Anthony Elanga had cut past Sergio Ramos, and had a clear shot on goal. He took it and blasted it past Navas at the near post to tie the game in the 54th minute. The crowd was silent and the ghosts of Champions League failures in the past began to haunt PSG supporters everywhere.

The PSG response was to consistently give the ball to Lionel Messi in the hopes that he would create magic. He did get one excellent chance in the 65th minute, but David De Gea was perfectly positioned to deflect it over the cross bar. From this point on, few PSG players felt comfortable with the ball for long and they felt even less comfortable after United tightened up their defense with some substitutes in the 73rd minute. Their star attackers and star midfielders kept pushing up to try and force the action. Their fullbacks bombed forward and their back line crept higher and higher.

That lack of focus and moment awareness caught them in the 84th minute, when Cristiano Ronaldo broke out in a display of pure class. After receiving the ball near the sideline at the midway point, he spun past PSG fullback Abdou Diallo, inside, before realizing that he was now beyond the defense. He then proceeded to make a forty yard mad dash into the box blowing past Sergio Ramos, and getting a shot off before Marquinhos could interrupt him. This was Cristiano Ronaldo at his most magical and there was no chance that Keylor Navas was going to stop him from close range. Despite the huge advantage in possession and the huge disparity in quality chances created, Manchester United now held a 2-1 lead, late in the Parc-des-Princes.

Lionel Messi would take one last poor chance in the 88th minute, but the last ten minutes of the game features an utterly dejected PSG side that seemed to have no interest in defending their home turf. United closed the game out, propelling them to favorites to advance.

“What a memorable moment from Cristiano,” said United manager after the game, “He was absolutely phenomenal. That was pure class and there’s no other way to describe it.”

The obvious choice for man of the match was United keeper David De Gea, who made eight saves, and was credited with an assist on Ronaldo’s goal. He single handedly kept United in the game during a first half that PSG dominated.

The win sets up Manchester United well to knock out the title favorites next Wednesday, April 13th, at Old Trafford. All United will need is a draw to advance to the Champions League semi-finals.

Manchester United: 2 Goal Scorers: Anthony Elanga (54'), Cristiano Ronaldo (84') Assists: Cristiano Ronaldo, David De Gea Paris Saint-Germain: 1 Goal Scorers: Franck Yannick Kessié (45') Assists: Kylian Mbappé

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United's Summer Transfer Needs

Manchester United still needs to upgrade its roster to help Thomas Walker

By Felix Short | April 7, 2022, 7:30 AM EST

Manchester United has made no secret about its attempt to lure Erling Haaland (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Manchester United are winding down their first season under Thomas Walker. The team is still alive in the Champions League after a thrilling 2-1 victory over PSG in the mid-week, they take on Bradford City in the FA Cup semi-finals in a few weeks and they’re still among the teams alive to win the Premier League title. Still, it is never too early to begin to look at what Manchester United’s summer plans in the transfer market might be.

Center-forward

It’s no secret that Manchester Uniter are in need of another attacking option this offseason. They have been positioning themselves for months to make a play at Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland this summer, but both players will take quite a bit of convincing, and each has their own prestigious suitors with whom United will have to battle. Still, Cristiano Ronaldo has been the main feature for United at center-forward, Anthony Martial appears to be unhappy with his role, and Edinson Cavani appears set to leave United this summer. As Ronaldo reaches yet another year, he’ll need to take on less games, meaning adding a new striker will be even more important.

United have Julián Álvarez and Marcus Rashford on the roster, who both could serve as a center-forward, but the much better plan is for United to make a move for a young dynamic striker that they can bring in to develop for the long haul. In fact, Thomas Walker has spoken about doing this very thing in recent months. Naturally, United have been linked with Lille striker Jonathan David and former Lille striker Victor Osimhen, both of whom played for Walker during his stay in Northern France.

Outside of Osimhen and David, as well as Haaland and Mbappé, it’s not clear who Manchester United and Thomas Walker would be interested in signing. Other hot name prospects include Benfica’s Darwin Nuñez and OGC Nice’s Amine Gouiri.

Holding midfielder

It’s no secret that Manchester United have long needed a holding midfielder that can shut down opposing defenses to play behind Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba. Considering United’s porous defense this season, collecting a holding midfielder should once again be a top priority this summer. Both Fred and Scott McTominay have performed above expectations this season, a great credit to Thomas Walker, but neither has the world-class ceiling that Manchester United need to become a consistently elite defense.

Rumors have consistently linked Manchester United to West Ham’s Declan Rice, and United considered making a play for Monaco’s Aurélien Tchouaméni in the winter window before he moved to Real Sociedad, but the team still finds itself without a new option. That should change this summer. Leeds’ Kalvin Phillips, Leipzig’s Kody Laimer, and Brighton’s Yves Bissouma are all players United could make a serious play at. Ultimately, United will need to replace Nemanja Matić, so bringing in a holding midfielder to replace Matić is a necessity. Bringing in an elite holding midfielder should be a priority.

Center-back

Manchester United has been the best goalscoring team in the Premier League this season, but they’ve also been one of the worst defensive teams. Part of that is the transition to a new, more aggressive style under Thomas Walker, but it’s also likely no coincidence that the three most important areas to upgrade for United are through the spine of the team. Manchester United made a good investment in Raphaël Varane last summer, and he has lived up to the hype. They haven’t gotten nearly the same quality or consistency out of Victor Lindelöf, Eric Bailly or Harry Maguire though. None of these players seem to fit the athletic profile that Thomas Walker wants, and he will certainly need to grab that person if he wants to improve his defense.

Manchester United have been linked with Chelsea’s Antonio Rüdiger, Lille’s Sven Botman, and Wolfsburg’s Maxence Lacroix, but truth be told, there are a million options for Manchester United to bring in. In a perfect world, they would likely bring in two players, one fully developed, and one younger player, so that they can consistently compete next season without worrying about their defense, and so they can set themselves up to be successful moving forward under Thomas Walker.

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United Struggle but Win at Goodison Park

Sandwiched Between PSG Match Ups, United Find Way to Win on the Road

By Felix Short | April 9, 2022, 11:59 PM EST

Anthony Martial scored the winning goal in the 70th minute on Saturday (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Liverpool, England – United entered Saturday’s game with Everton coming off an emotional mid-week game in Paris in the Champions League Quarterfinal and in desperate need for an easy victory at Goodison Park. Everton had no plans to help Manchester United make that happen, as the Red Devils instead found themselves in a dog fight trying to keep up with the home side. United entered the day in sixth place in the league and were forced to rest play of their best players with little, a sign of how difficult it can be to manage the Premier League while competing in continental competition.

“They fought so very hard,” said United manager Thomas Walker, “There was a moment when I felt really good about this game, but it quickly disappeared and I knew we were in for a highly competitive match. Especially because we needed to win this game. It was imperative because our hopes in the league race mean that we can’t drop points in games like this.”

Manchester United actually got off to a hot start in this game, scoring the opening goal in the 5th minute in what quickly looked like the easy game they were hoping for. United’s teenage sensation Hannibal Mejbri made an absurd through pass just beyond the reach of Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucouré, to Paul Pogba in the box. With the pass doing the work of getting Pogba open, all he had to focus on was the execution of putting the ball past Everton keeper Jordan Pickford. He did that, and quickly, United found the lead.

In fact, United felt comfortable for much of the opening half hour, earning tremendous chances in the 12th minute, 18th minute and 28th minute, when Cristiano Ronaldo, Hannibal Mejbri and Bruno Fernandes had opportunities to double United’s lead. Those goals didn’t come though, and after Everton’s 33rd minute shot off the foot of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, they were back in the game and on the front foot.

By halftime, they had steadied the ship and came out for the second half in charge. That led to a Doucouré chance in the 50th minute and another chance by Richarlison in the 58th minute. Finally, Everton broke through in the 64th minute for the equalizer. ON the counterattack, center-forward Cenk Tosun made a long pass behind the defenders, into the space between the back line and the keeper, to where midfielder Anthony Gordon could run to the ball, beating David De Gea who came to sweep it, by chipping it over his head. United defenders were convinced that Gordon was offsides, but referee Andy Madley confirmed the goal after a VAR check just moments later.

Thomas Walker, sensing the game slipping from his side, changed his formation to a more defensive front, bringing on two holding midfielders and asking United to play on the counter. The move worked, as just a few minutes later United were able to retake the lead. Off an Everton corner, Fred (who had just subbed on) stole the ball and initiated the counter. He made a forward pass to Ronaldo, who made a mesmerizing thirty-five-yard aerial pass into the box on the opposite side, to Anthony Martial who was streaking in. Martial collected the ball with his head before slamming it past Pickford for the goal in the 70th minute.

That lead would survive through the final whistle, but not before Manchester United were forced to work hard for these three points. Cristiano Ronaldo was forced to go ninety minutes, as was Raphaël Varane, so it will be a question mark if they will be fully fit for Wednesday’s match up with Paris Saint-Germain.

This game did mark the return of Edinson Cavani, who has suffered from concussion related symptoms that stem from an incident in practice with Uruguay during the January international break. He had not played in a professional match since January 22nd’s game against Newport County and has mused of retirement in the intervening months. He came on as a substitute for Julián Álvarez in the 68th minute today.

“To be on the pitch,” Cavani said after the game, “It feels great. It’s been such a long time since I could feel that and it was incredible and I’m just happy I could be on the pitch when my team made the winning play. That’s all that matters to me when I’m on the pitch.”

With the win, Manchester United move up to third in the league table with 61 points. Everton remain in 11th with 40 points. Everton will host Crystal Palace next weekend, when United host Norwich City. However, Manchester United has a big Champions League Quarterfinal against Paris Saint-Germain before that match.

Manchester United: 2 Goal Scorers: Paul Pogba (5'), Anthony Martial (70') Assists: Hannibal Mejbri, Cristiano Ronaldo Everton: 1 Goal Scorers: Anthony Gordon (64') Assists: Cenk Tosun

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Congratulations to Raphaël Varane for his 500th Game for Club and Country! #MUFC


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Rumour: Barcelona's Araújo Emerging Target

Manchester United would love to add Barcelona's Ronald Araújo this summer

By Logan Plant / @plantlounited / April 11, 2022, 7:30 AM EST

Barcelona's Ronald Araújo may be made available this summer (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Rumour – It’s become increasingly clear in recent months that Manchester United will look seriously at adding a center-back this summer to bolster that position and help them adapt to Thomas Walker’s style of play. Raphaël Varane has been good this season, but each of Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire, and Victor Lindelöf have had inconsistencies this season and that is almost entirely related to the fact that they don’t fit the mold of a Thomas Walker center-back.

The latest rumour has them connect to Barcelona center-back Ronald Araújo. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound giant would be a worthy replacement for the size of Harry Maguire, while providing a higher level of athleticism than either Victor Lindelöf or Eric Bailly. That combination of size and speed is what makes him so attractive to Thomas Walker and the club.

“They think he’s going to be great,” an inside source told RedDevilUnited, “They really love his potential, and they would love to be able to pry him away from Barcelona. I think there’s some inkling that he may not be as happy at Barcelona as they would let on. But of course, that could always just be a negotiating tactic to get Barcelona to give him a better contract extension. If they can get him, they would love to though. I can tell you that for sure.”

Barcelona bought Araújo from Montevideo-based Boston River in the summer of 2018 and signed him to a five-year contract. That contract is set to expire after next season, making this the optimal time to sell for Barcelona if they can’t get an extension done. With that said, Araújo has emerged as a reliable starter for Xavi this season, so it would have to take an culture misfit for Araújo to want to move. If that is the case though, then Manchester United seems to be a great landing spot for Araújo.


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Mauricio Pochettino Out as United Advance

Tournament Favorites Paris Saint-Germain Fall at Old Trafford to Cristiano Ronaldo and United

By Felix Short | April 13, 2022, 11:59 PM EST

Cristiano Ronaldo scored three goals and assisted two more in two legs against PSG (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Paris Saint-Germain entered Wednesday night’s game with everything on the line. After losing, 2-1 at the Parc-des-Princes to Manchester United last week, the Parisians were facing elimination and humiliation. PSG entered this tournament as the odds-on favorite to win the whole thing after adding Lionel Messi and a host of other superstars. They brought in two-star midfielders in the January transfer window to bolster their hopes.

Then, spoiler alert, they lost to Manchester United, fired coach Mauricio Pochettino after the game, and go back to Paris with nothing but disappointment to carry them through. After losing last year’s Ligue Un title to Lille and dropping out in the semi-finals to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, winning both was a must this season. Now they’ve been eliminated from the Champions League by the same coach that beat them to the Ligue Un title last year, Thomas Walker.

“It’s an emotional moment,” said PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino after losing the game and before being fired, “We were the better side but we just couldn’t break through and we lost. That’s so disappointing because this game is what we work for our whole lives. There is nothing else in this moment. Only this. And we failed.”

Part of the loss could be blamed on Pochettino. After being frustrated with Keylor Navas last week, he elected to go with Gianluigi Donnarumma, and his goals given up spiked from two to five. He also made the bizarre decision to take off Neymar in the 33rd minute after Achraf Hakimi was forced from the game with a red card, in a move that smelled of desperation. The move meant PSG would be without two of their most incisive attackers for the rest of the game.

Despite the tinkering, PSG actually got on the scoreboard first, in the 9th minute when Georginio Wijnaldum and Rubén Neves played a bit of tiki-taka before finding Achraf Hakimi open in the box. Hakimi had no trouble finishing the play and equalizing with United on aggregate. The early goal established PSG’s dominance early, and just like in the previous game, the quality advantage for PSG was apparent.

Still, United were able to bounce back quickly, and on the counterattack, Alex Telles, after forcing a turnover, put in a beautiful lob pass under pressure to Paul Pogba, who turned and put in a through ball in the space between the defenders and the keeper. Ronaldo was first to the ball and put it past Donnarumma in the 15th minute. The play gave United the advantage, but left PSG fans screaming at Donnarumma for not sweeping it away.

In spite of the aforementioned red card in the 33rd minute, PSG still looked like the more dominating team in a very hostile environment. They controlled much of the first half, and United seemed to be playing for the draw. But another blunder by PSG gave United a moment. A poorly designed corner play backfired, when Fred was able to steal the ball from Lionel Messi, before making a wild cross-field deep pass to Bruno Fernandes. Fernandes headbutted the ball forward, past the defense, timing it perfectly with Cristiano Ronaldo, who was once again past the defense for a one-on-one with Donnarumma. This time Ronaldo went near post and suddenly United had a commanding 4-2 lead on aggregate.

United would have loved to bleed the clock away at this point, but this game was only just getting exciting. Deep into injury time of the first half, Fred did a poor job of clearing the ball, miskicking it toward the head of Georginio Wijnaldum, who head butted it toward goal. De Gea, who was off his line, could do nothing but watch the ball hit his fingertips as it landed past him and into the net. With that goal, PSG had a breath of new life going into the halftime, tied at 2-2, and trailing 4-3 on aggregate.

They took that new life into the second half and once again established their dominance. Lionel Messi was the magician to tie the game for the Parisians in the 54th minute with an absolute worldie from 30-yards out. The ball hit the right cross bar, past De Gea, then bounced into the net. With that spectacular goal, PSG had tied it on aggregate and once again looked like the favorites.

But United bounced back quickly, with another heart stopping goal just seven minutes later, by the unlikely Anthony Elanga. Paul Pogba tapped it over to him in a bit of open space from 25 yards out. Elanga took aim and lobbed it over Donnarumma’s head, watching as it softly landed in the back of the net.

Once again on top, United went into full lock down mode, adding three defenders to the field to hold their 5-4 aggregate lead. It worked, and for the first time, PSG did not look dangerous despite desperately trying to put numbers forward. Unfortunately for PSG, they saw first-hand what can happen if you push too many numbers forward in search of goals. They left themselves wide open to the counterattack, and with Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes on the pitch, they were playing with fire.

Scott McTominay initiated the first play, pushing the ball forward to Ronaldo, who went two-v-two with Bruno Fernandes and the PSG Center-backs, winning, giving Fernandes the tap in in the 87th minute that sealed victory. PSG then put ten guys forward looking for hope, and it was Victor Lindelöf and Scott McTominay who played one-two around Donnarumma to add an insurance goal in the 92nd minute. At that point, fate had been sealed and Manchester United had won.

“This is the greatest crowd I’ve ever seen,” said Manchester United manager Thomas Walker, “This was magical. The atmosphere. It was beautiful. This was the beautiful moment for this team and for these fans, and I’m so happy we were able to deliver for them. It was absolutely electric. One of those moments that makes everything worth it.”

Cristiano Ronaldo was named man of the match for his brave and assist, providing for five goals over two legs in this quarterfinal upset over Paris Saint-Germain. Their reward for winning is a trip to the semi-final, where they will play one of Liverpool, Bayern Munich, or Inter Milan.

As previously mentioned, Mauricio Pochettino was relieved of his duties by the board of Paris Saint-Germain after the loss.

Manchester United: 5 Goal Scorers: Cristiano Ronaldo (15'), Cristiano Ronaldo (41'), Anthony Elanga (61'), Bruno Fernandes (87'), Scott McTominay (92') Assists: Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Victor Lindelöf Paris Saint-Germain: 3 Goal Scorers: Achraf Hakimi (9'), Georginio Wijnaldum (45'+2), Lionel Messi (54') Assists: Rubén Neves, Nuno Mendes

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United, Liverpool to Face Off in Semis

Manchester United will host leg one of the UCL Semi-finals at Old Trafford on April 27th

By Felix Short | April 14, 2022, 7:30 AM EST

Manchester United and Liverpool will play once again in the UCL Semi-finals (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Manchester United will face Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League semi-final. The first leg will take place at Old Trafford on April 27th, before a second leg at Anfield on May 3rd. The winner will take on the winner of the other semi-final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.

Liverpool defeated Barcelona and Juventus on their way to the semi-finals, while Manchester United defeated Sporting CP and Paris Saint-Germain.

United and Liverpool will now face each other five times this season as another storied chapter is surely to be written in this classic rivalry. The two faced off in back-to-back matches in late October in two games that provided all the sparks expected of them.

On October 24th, in a Premier League match up at Old Trafford, Liverpool scored a game-tying goal deep into injury time. Three days later, Manchester United got revenge in the EFL Cup by defeating Liverpool 3-2 at Anfield in another game decided late.

The two sides played a to a more reserved 1-1 draw on March 20th in their Premier League match up at Anfield, but never the less, the two are both competing for the Premier League crown, with many pundits believing Liverpool are the league favorites.

None of that will matter when these two sides face off on April 27th. Cristiano Ronaldo, Mo Salah, Sadio Mané, Bruno Fernandes. The eyes of the soccer world will be on this match up on that night.

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Can Ronaldo Break His Own UCL Record?

Cristiano Ronaldo scored 17 goals in the 2013-14 UCL, Can He Break That in 2021-22?

By Felix Short | April 15, 2022, 7:30 AM EST

Cristiano Ronaldo has 13 goals in this years' competition so far. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – During the 2013-2014 UEFA Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo scored seventeen goals in the competition while leading Real Madrid to victory. In 2021-22, he may be able to break his own record.

Through ten games in this years’ tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo has netted thirteen goals, including two in Wednesday’s home leg that ended Paris Saint-Germain’s run.

We know goals are on the mind of Ronaldo these days. In December, he talked about retaking the Premier League scoring record from Mo Salah, which was set by the Liverpool star set in 2017-18. Ronaldo seems to be on pace to do that, having scored 29 goals in the Premier League with seven games to go. Salah’s record is currently 32 goals.

Of course, more important to Ronaldo will be the team’s success. Manchester United are slated to play Liverpool on April 27th and May 3rd in the Champions League Semi-finals. If they win that round, Ronaldo could play as many as three more games in this tournament.

If United get past Liverpool, they will have to play either Bayern Munich or Inter Milan in the UCL Final on May 28th.

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De Gea Tests Positive for CoVid, Out vs Norwich

Manchester United Will Be Without Top Keeper David De Gea for Today's Match with Norwich City

By Felix Short | April 16, 2022, 7:30 AM EST

It's unclear who will start in goal after De Gea tested positive for CoVid-19 (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Manchester United will be without David De Gea for today’s game against Norwich City after the Spanish keeper tested positive for CoVid-19 this morning.

De Gea has made all 32 starts in the Premier League this season. Of the 45 games he’s started this season, he’s recorded ten clean sheets.

United have three other goalkeepers available, veterans Tom Heaton and Lee Grant, as well as youngster Bruno Schmitt, who made his senior team debut and looked comfortable in an FA Cup match against Doncaster on March 12th.

Manchester United bought De Gea from Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2011. He has made 468 starts for the club since, racking up 162 clean sheets.

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United Dominate Norwich City

Despite the Pregame Shake Up at Keeper, United Controlled their Bout with Norwich City

By Felix Short | April 16, 2022, 11:59 PM EST

Julián Álvarez has become increasingly comfortable in the Premier League (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Manchester United, coming off the emotional win against Paris Saint-Germain in the midweek, had to turn around to play relegation-threatened Norwich City today. And they had to do it without their starting keeper, as David De Gea was ruled out of today’s match after receiving a CoVid-19 diagnosis just hours before the opening whistle. United manager Thomas Walker turned to recently turned 18-year-old Bruno Schmitt in his second career outing to carry the mantle in net.

“He looked comfortable in his recent chance against Doncaster, so I thought he was probably ready for this moment. We have some capable guys on our bench too if we needed to make a move,” said Manchester United boss Thomas Walker. Bruno Schmitt did look comfortable, making one save on a day that truthfully, United dominated.

Anthony Martial got the scoring started early, after Paul Pogba pushes the field by making a pass to Fred in the center of the pitch. The defense collapsed on Fred, allowing him to dump the ball off to Anthony Martial, who scooted past the defense, and put an easy shot past Norwich City keeper Tim Krul to put United on top in the 5th minute. That early goal was a sign of domination for Manchester United as they consistently controlled the tempo and flow of today’s game.

United doubled their lead in injury time of the first half. Hannibal Mejbri caused a turnover at the halfway line, pushed it forward to Cristiano Ronaldo, who wiggled past his defender, breaking into the open, entering the box, then dumping the ball off to Anthony Martial for the tap in once he forced the keeper to commit. That goal extended United’s lead to two at halftime, and it was clear that Manchester United were in complete control.

Norwich City was hurt by a series of early-yellow cards as referee Robert Jones punished them early and often. Milot Rashica opened the game with a yellow card in the 2nd minute, Lukas Rupp also received a yellow card before the game had seen the first ten minutes go by. This was punctuated in the 78th minute when Ben Gibson was given a red card on a slide tackle on Paul Pogba. It was one of those games that from the opening whistle, everything went against Norwich City.

United put the final nail in the coffin in the coffin of this game, and perhaps Norwich City’s season, in the 71st minute courtesy of Julián Álvarez. Álvarez, who had just come on with fresh legs, stole the ball from Rashica, before making a world class run, using his explosiveness to carry the ball 75 yards in, out, and around defenders. He was grabbed from behind by Ben Gibson, but he broke the meager attempt to slow him down, dusting the entire Norwich City defense into the box, before pounding it near post past Krul for the goal.

Bruno Schmitt, United’s last second starter at keeper, looked comfortable, making one save in the 67th minute on a shot off the foot of Milot Rashica. Norwich City only earned five shots today, with only one being on target. This will lead to some question as to if Schmitt is ready to face Tottenham in their next game, should David De Gea be unavailable.

Fred was named the man of the match for today’s game, earning tremendous remarks for his defense, and earning an assist on United’s opening goal by Anthony Martial. Fred has continued to impress under Thomas Walker, becoming a reliable hole plugger in United’s defense.

“We went out and took care of business today,” said United manager Thomas Walker, “We had a good, solid game plan that ensured we kept our opponents off course, and it worked reliably well today. This is the goal when we go into games. We want to make the other team uncomfortable, and we want to ensure that they feel our presence throughout the game, and today we did exactly that. Great performance.”

With the win Manchester, United move up to 3rd in the league with 64 points, while Norwich City stays in dead-last with just 23 points. Manchester United will host Tottenham on April 20th, while Norwich City’s next game will be in Norwich against Newcastle on April 23rd.

Manchester United: 3 Goal Scorers: Anthony Martial (5'), Anthony Martial (45'+2), Julián Álvarez (71') Assists: Fred, Cristiano Ronaldo Norwich City: 0 Goal Scorers: n/a Assists: n/a

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Re: United.

De Gea Back After False Positive

United Keeper David De Gea Missed Yesterday's Game with a CoVid Positive Result

By Felix Short | April 17, 2022, 7:30 AM EST

David De Gea has kept 10 Clean Sheets this season. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Manchester United received good news on Sunday when David De Gea passed his second consecutive CoVid-19 test 24 hours apart, the requirement to return to play this season in the Premier League. With this information, it seems increasingly likely that De Gea suffered a false positive yesterday morning forcing him to miss United’s game with Norwich City.

United won that game 3-0 on the back of a tremendous performance from Anthony Martial and Julián Álvarez. 18-year-old Bruno Schmitt got the start in that game, his second of the season, and looked comfortable. He made one save and wasn’t asked to do a lot in this game.

“It’s great to have David back,” said Manchester United manager Thomas Walker this morning, “All the keepers in our locked room are hardworking, but David is special. He’s world class and we know that, and we’re looking forward to having him carry us through the rest of the season.”

De Gea has started all 32 of Manchester United’s Premier League games before yesterday’s absence against Norwich City.

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