You got us in this mess. Time to prove your worth.
That was the message Erik ten Hag seemingly gave his Manchester United side as the same XI that were humiliated at Anfield came out at Old Trafford. And they delivered with a wonderful second half performance that blew away Real Betis to secure a 4-1 win, after a tepid first half display.
When Marcus Rashford continued his staggering goalscoring form this season within six minutes, it looked like it would be a comfortable night for the home side. The Englishman capitalised on a poor defensive touch to fire the ball into the roof of the net and put United ahead. It was the perfect start for United after a torrid week.
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Only Erling Haaland (33) and Kylian Mbappe (30) have exceeded his tally of 26 goals in all competitions this term and he has been nothing short of magnificent since the World Cup break. It shows his progression that his name is even being talked about with the likes of Haaland and Mbappe.
But when things looked like they would be easy for United and Ten Hag, they rapidly became second best. The passes started going array and Real Betis began to get a stranglehold on the game, with 41-year-old Joaquin getting on the ball. The week he made his Betis debut, a Manchester United side featuring Teddy Sheringham and Fabian Barthez beat Bradford City 6-0. His longevity is simply remarkable.
A man 12 years his junior would pop up with a magnificent equaliser. Ayoze Perez, the man on loan from Leicester City, fired one with the outside of his foot into the bottom corner. It was a sumptuous finish that stunned Old Trafford as the Spanish side took the initiative. Raphael Varane steered a low cross past De Gea but was saved by the foot of the post as Man Utd rocked after such a positive start.
Wout Weghorst was struggling in front of goal again, and as they trudged to the dressing rooms, there was a slight air of worry in snowy Manchester. Those doubters needn’t have worried though, as Ten Hag solved all the issues at half-time. They came out like the Manchester United of old and Antony curled a stunning effort into the top corner.
Then Bruno Fernandes snuck in at the near post from a corner to head United into an insurmountable 3-1 lead. For him, this was the perfect response to the criticism he has faced over the last five days after his petulance at Anfield.
To cap off the perfect night, Weghorst even ended his goal drought with a tap-in from close range. It was a win that extended Manchester United’s unbeaten home run to 20 matches, and Old Trafford has become a fortress once again.
They may have taken a couple of beatings on the road this season, but when Ten Hag’s side can obliterate the opposition like this on home turf, they have something to build on. This 4-1 win should carry them into the last eight of the Europa League, with the Carabao Cup already placed in their trophy cabinet.
With this remarkable home form, bigger trophies could await the Red Devils next term.
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