Amid Manchester United’s troubled campaign, Anthony Elanga’s emergence has been an undoubted high point. The young striker scored a crucial equaliser in Wednesday’s first leg Champions League last-16 draw at Atletico Madrid, after coming on as a second-half substitute, calling it a moment he had always dreamed of.
Elanga also scored his second goal in nine Premier League appearances during Sunday’s 4-2 win at Leeds. Including his debut effort at Wolves in the final game of last season, an overall top-flight return of three from 11 games is not bad given he has only completed the full 90 minutes twice.
For a club that prides itself on youth development, Elanga’s emergence has provided welcome respite from a series of devastating results, a managerial sacking, coaches departing, rumours of splits in the camp and players taking to social media to challenge statements their interim boss has made about them in press conferences.
And on Tuesday, Brazil midfielder Fred called the club’s lack of long-term plan “strange” and a “little bit bad”, adding “At the moment it’s all about the short-term goals.”
