It was imperative that Manchester United returned to winning ways in the Premier League after last week’s demoralising 3-6 defeat at the hands of Manchester City.
And United did just that, albeit after surviving some nervy moments towards the end, as they held on to secure a 2-1 win over Everton on Sunday.
The plaudits were rightly received by goalscorers Antony and Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom broke records, while Casemiro impressed on his first league start as he set up the winner.
DDG shines
But one player who went about his business quietly and almost slipped under the radar was David de Gea. The Spaniard’s all-round play on the night shows he might be finally adjusting to Erik ten Hag‘s methods.
David De Gea vs Everton (A) pic.twitter.com/wlOXZotRmX
— Viran🇲🇾 (@MadnessFc4) October 10, 2022
His passing was crisp on the night which included both short and long passes and he was frequently seen coming off his line and tried to sweep up when defenders were further forward.
De Gea’s shot-stopping ability has never been in doubt and he showed that with a late save from a James Garner shot-cum-cross.
As per Statman Dave, the Spanish international successfully completed 32 out of 37 passes while also accurately pinging seven long balls out of 12.
His overall pass accuracy was a high 87% and the 31-year-old had 43 touches in total.
The former Atletico Madrid goalie has not had the best of times since Ten Hag took charge. He was culpable for three of the four goals conceded against Brentford and his reluctance to come off his line has hindered the team’s progress on numerous occasions.
But against Frank Lampard’s team, De Gea showed glimpses of why the Dutchman has continued to persevere with him. And De Gea seemed pleased with how he played on the night.
Good form to be rewarded soon?
“It was great to be in goal today, with the team fighting for three points. I’m just very focused on the games helping the team as much as I can,” he told BT Sport.
De Gea has been in the news recently after reports emerged which stated that United were reluctant to initiate contract talks due to his poor form. Names like Emiliano Martinez and Jan Oblak have been mooted as possible alternatives.
But the United No 1 has not paid heed to those rumours and he stated that he wants to stay at United for many more years to come.
“Of course, I would like to be here for more years, so let’s see what happens in the future. I’m really, really happy here.”
De Gea is showing promising signs and Ten Hag will be pleased with his adaptation. Now it is up to the Spanish goalie to maintain and improve on this as United head into a busy fixture list full of important games.
