Diogo Dalot reserved special praise for Antony after the Manchester United winger teed him up for his first ever Premier League goal during Sunday's 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
The Portuguese right-back produced a composed finish to seal the points at the City Ground after Antony had nudged Erik ten Hag's side into the lead in the first-half.
Dalot, 24, had only scored twice for United prior to the weekend, with both coming in cup competitions, and he admitted that his maiden league strike was a "special" moment. Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Dalot said: “It was special, the moment of the goal was important as well, 2-0 made it more comfortable.
“They were creating some chances, especially from corners which in the Premier League is always dangerous when your'e 1-0 up. It is always special to score for this club, but I'm more happy with the result.”
Dalot certainly made the most of his maiden strike by pulling off a number of celebrations. It was his handshake with Antony, though, that piqued the most interest. The Brazilian winger has come in for some fierce criticism from pundits and fans alike this term, but after bagging a goal and an assist against Forest, Dalot was quick to sing the former Ajax man's praises.
When he was asked about his handshake with Antony after scoring, the full-back added: “It's our little thing. He had a fantastic game as well. He is getting rewards from his effort all season.”
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Antony has struggled to live up expectations for the majority of the campaign after following Ten Hag to Old Trafford in a blockbuster £85million move from Ajax in the summer. The 23-year-old has, however, managed to silence some of his critics in recent weeks.
His manager has refused to criticise the winger and has repeatedly defended his performances. And after seeing Antony take his tally for goal contributions to 14 in all competitions this term, Ten Hag was once again quick to point out how effective the forward has been.
“I defended him,” Ten Hag said of Antony after the match. “He knows, I know as well, that when you're a striker, you need an end product. But already he had quite a lot of end product, he scored in all competitions now. Eight goals in his first year United is not bad and there are still games to go.
“But he has to do it. I can't say in every game, but in many games, if you want to be a top-class player and especially in all the competitions. He has to step up. Today was an example where, with both goals, he made the right decision.”
