Alejandro Garnacho will not be a cameo man much longer.
Erik ten Hag wants to ease the hugely talented 18-year-old winger into the big time at Manchester United, but he will surely keep on delivering match-winning turns like this at Fulham.
In less than a minute on the pitch, he had a previously comfortable Fulham defence on the run. In less than 20 minutes, he had shown up his senior colleagues who struggled for dynamism, flair and end product.
And that’s because, without fear or hesitation, he simply demanded the ball, took on defenders – and scythed past them.
Where Marcus Rashford, Anthony Elanga and Anthony Martial had struggled, here the teenage Garnacho simply shrugged his shoulders, then dropped one or the other, and sped past Fulham’s nonplussed defence.
Garnacho’s finish for the winner underscored everything about his poise. Not enough for him to trade passes with Eriksen and hand the Denmark playmaker the perfect angle for the return pass.
Because then Garnacho delivered a finish on the run, when everyone in Fulham white expected him to take another touch. No steadying needed. And no holding back of the reins either. On this evidence, Ten Hag has a big star on his hands and must give him regular senior football.
Former United winger Dan James thought he would be the one writing the headlines, when tapping in to drag Fulham level in the second half. The impressive replacement only gave Fulham what their dominant performance deserved.
The hosts bossed the midfield and for so long caused so many problems for United.
Ten Hag’s visitors had taken the lead through Eriksen, and the former Tottenham and Brentford man will have kicked himself for finding the wrong side of the post just before half-time.
Marco Silva’s men deserved at least a point, but this cruellest of team sports can always be won by star individuals. And in Garnacho, United have a genuine gem that will not need much more polishing.
