Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has insisted there is plenty more improvement to be made by his Red Devils stars despite four wins from their last four Premier League games.
The Red Devils have now registered consecutive wins over Liverpool, Southampton, Leicester City and Arsenal and are showing no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Their last outing saw them beat the Gunners 3-1 at Old Trafford, with marquee summer signing Antony netting the game's opening goal on his debut.
The Brazilian international was placed on Ten Hag's transfer wish-list from the moment the Dutchman took the reins at Old Trafford. The player and manager duo are familiar with each other from their shared time at Ajax, but Antony did not come cheap.
At an eye-watering £85million, the pressure was firmly on the 22-year-old to deliver in front of the expectant United fanbase. Deliver he did, with a delightfully taken right-footed finish beyond the onrushing Aaron Ramsdale on Sunday afternoon to put his new side within touching distance of the top four.
United are currently sat fifth, a remarkable achievement considering their horror start to the season and are just one point behind now-managerless Brighton.
Ahead of the first game of their Europa League campaign at home to Spanish side Real Sociedad, Ten Hag shed light on what he was most pleased with coming away from the game against Arsenal last weekend.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Where will United finish at the end of this season? Comment below
"Antony and Marcus grabbed the headlines on Sunday, and deservedly so, but what pleased me most was the collective effort and strong teamwork," the United boss explained. "It is not the end of our development as a group. There is still a lot more improvement to come."
That update will undoubtedly excite a United faithful who are already incredibly optimistic considering the turnaround they have experienced since that humiliating 4-0 hammering at the hands of Brentford on match-day two of the Premier League season.
Antony's arrival from Ajax appears to have given everyone associated with United a much-needed lift after a summer transfer window that was dominated by discourse surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo's future and the unsuccessful pursuit of Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong.
Morale is significantly higher than it was a few weeks ago, with the upturn in results and new signings serving as the foundation for some much-needed hope for a United side that looked odds-on to fall apart at the seams after just two games this term.
