If there was any doubt as to Cristiano Ronaldo’s value to Manchester United, the Portuguese ace demonstrated it once again on Saturday.
Ronaldo was the hero once again at Old Trafford as he inspired United to a 3-2 win over Norwich with a brilliant hat-trick. The victory renews United’s hopes of finishing in the top four this season, having moved to within three points after capitalising on Tottenham and Arsenal’s slip-ups.
Having bagged a brace before half-time, Ronaldo’s party looked as though it was going to be spoiled when Norwich struck back either side of the break to bring the scores level at 2-2. The 37-year-old wasn’t to be denied, though, as he completed his hat-trick by powering home a superb free-kick, earning United their first win in three in the process.
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It was the second time in just his last three appearances that Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, having also inspired United to a 3-2 win over Tottenham last month. And the five-time Ballon d’Or winner couldn’t have picked a better time to strike, with his side’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League hanging by a thread before the weekend.
While there have been plenty of questions over his place in the side this season and his suitability for a modern system, Ronaldo has shown how vital he still is to this current United side. His latest treble took his tally for the campaign to 21 in all competitions — making him by far and away the club’s top scorer this season.
Sitting 12 ahead of United’s second top-scorer Bruno Fernandes, Ronaldo's goals have made a big difference in what has been a dismal season at Old Trafford. And there is yet more evidence of just how valuable he has been if you look down the years.
In scoring his hat-trick on Saturday, Ronaldo became the first United no.7 to hit 20 goals in a season since… Ronaldo. The former Real Madrid man last achieved the feat during the 2008/09 season, before making his move to the Bernabeu.
In the 12 seasons that followed, the closest a player got to matching that feat was Edinson Cavani with 17 goals last year. Other than that, Michael Owen, Antonio Valencia, Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay and Alexis Sanchez — who all wore the famous shirt — all failed to even reach double figures.
Ronaldo will be aiming to take his tally even further before the end of the season, with six games still to go. If he does, United will stand a good chance of achieving their top-four ambitions.
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