Erik ten Hag hailed Antony’s deadly partnership with Marcus Rashford as Manchester United’s new signing scored on his debut while his strike partner’s brace sent Arsenal crashing to 3-1 defeat.
Antony made a dream debut as the Brazil forward scored just 35 minutes into his first appearance following his £82 million ($A138 million) move from Ajax.
Some pundits questioned United’s decision to splash out such a big fee on the 22-year-old.
But Ten Hag knows all about Antony from their time together at Ajax, where the United manager worked before taking charge of the Premier League club in the summer.
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And Antony appeared to the manor born as he unfurled an array of skills and intelligent play to dazzle the Old Trafford crowd.
He formed an instant relationship with fellow forward Rashford, who provided an astute assist for Antony’s clinical finish.
After Bukayo Saka’s equaliser, Rashford took the game away from Arsenal with a pair of composed strikes to end the Premier League leaders’ perfect start to the season.
“They both played great, a continual threat. I know our offensive is really strong, they are creative and have speed,” Ten Hag said of Antony and Rashford.
“This is the first time they have played together and this performance is great to see.
“I thought the first 10 minutes was the best we have played so far this season.”
Arsenal had won their first five games but United’s four-match winning run is their longest in the Premier League since winning five in a row in 2021 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
It is exactly the kind of streak Ten Hag needed his team to go after his reign started with embarrassing defeats against Brighton and Brentford.
The 4-0 loss at Brentford was especially chastening, but since then Ten Hag has got the response he wanted after calling for his players to show more hunger and character.
“We are happy and satisfied with the win, also the performance against a really good team,” Ten Hag said.
“The spirit from this team, they can deal with setbacks. It is really great and shows your mentality. We have really improved on that.
“We have the right characters and now it is about cooperation. We have to stay calm, stay composed and play our game.”
Old Trafford was buzzing in the aftermath of another encouraging result that showed United’s 2-1 success against bitter rivals Liverpool was no fluke.
As for Arsenal, Gary Neville said the defeat proved there is still room for improvement despite a promising opening to the season.
“Arsenal were fantastic for 65-70 minutes, but there was quite a bit of immaturity in the last 20 minutes or so,” he said.
“The three substitutions at once. I thought it was strange when it happened because it was a bit of a kitchen sink job whereby you can go and get done on the counter-attack, which they did.
“I don’t think they needed to do that at that point in the game. There was still 20 minutes to go, they were playing really well, and they were working chances.
“United’s goal on the counter-attack was against the run of play and all of a sudden it became a game that was easier for Manchester United.
“It may sound daft when they are on the end of a 3-1 defeat, but I am more confident in Arsenal’s top-four chances after seeing them today over what they did in those first five games against the teams they played.
“They’ve been really good at times, and they’ll get that last part of the games right more often than not if they carry on playing like this. Arsenal fans will be disappointed, but they were brilliant in the game.
“They just lost it in the big moments of this match and maybe, just maybe being a little too reckless too early, when they didn’t need to be with 20 minutes to go and those three subs coming on.”
BRIGHTON ROUT HEAPS PRESSURE ON LEICESTER
Brighton extended their superb start to the Premier League season with a 5-2 victory that left bottom of the table Leicester in turmoil, while leaders Arsenal prepared for the latest test of their flying start at Manchester United later on Sunday.
Graham Potter’s fourth placed side made it four wins from their first six games thanks to a second half surge at the Amex Stadium.
Kelechi Iheanacho put Leicester ahead in the first minute, but a Luke Thomas own goal and Moises Caicedo’s strike gave Brighton the advantage.
Patson Daka equalised for Leicester, but the struggling visitors collapsed after half-time as Leandro Trossard put Brighton in front before Alexis Mac Allister’s double sealed the rout.
Leicester have taken just one point from their first six games, losing five in a row to leave boss Brendan Rodgers under severe pressure.
In a damning assessment of Leicester’s predicament, Rodgers admitted after Thursday’s defeat against Manchester United that the Foxes, who twice narrowly failed to qualify for the Champions League under his leadership, are not the same club they were two years ago.
Rodgers, who led Leicester to their first ever FA Cup triumph in 2021, also publicly aired his frustration at a lack of backing from the club’s owners in the transfer market, with Wout Faes the only outfield player signed since the end of last season.
Rodgers hopes the transfer window closing will refocus an unsettled squad that lost key defender Wesley Fofana to Chelsea, while James Maddison and Youri Tielemans missed out on moves.
But there was no sign of any improvement as Leicester slumped to another dismal defeat in the south-coast sunshine.
It had Gary Neville declaring that Rodgers is in “trouble” on Sky Sports.
“No commitment. No desire,” he said.
“Brendan is in trouble with that performance in the second half. The Leicester players were nowhere near good enough. [They] gave up the fight. Shocking.”
Rodgers responded to Leicester’s woes by dropping star striker Jamie Vardy and recalling Zambia striker Daka.
The gamble paid off inside 60 seconds as Daka raced onto Harvey Barnes’ pass and sent over a low cross that allowed Iheanacho to tap into the empty net.
But Leicester’s lead lasted just nine minutes as Trossard picked out Solly March at the back post for a header that deflected in off the unlucky Thomas.
Leicester’s insecurities came rushing back to the surface after that blow and they were breached again in the 15th minute.
Maddison conceded possession close to the halfway line, allowing Enock Mwepu to stride forward and slip in Caicedo, who finished emphatically into the bottom corner.
Daka dragged Rodgers’ men level out of the blue in the 33rd minute. Brighton defender Adam Webster gave away possession and, after Lewis Dunk was caught out by Tielemans’ lofted pass, Daka ran through to slot past Robert Sanchez.
Albion remained the dominant force and Trossard scored their third from a Pascal Gross pass in the 64th minute.
Mac Allister killed off Leicester, converting a 71st minute penalty after Wilfred Ndidi fouled Trossard, then curling a free-kick past Danny Ward in the final seconds.
