After being so sought-after in the summer transfer window, there was immediate pressure on Antony to deliver at Old Trafford. The Brazilian, who signed for Manchester United from Ajax, arrived for a hefty price tag and was quickly tipped by many to become the club's first-choice right winger for many years to come.
Antony enjoyed the perfect start to life in England, scoring on his Reds debut in the 3-1 victory over Arsenal last month. While he has drawn blanks in his first four Europa League appearances for Erik ten Hag's side, the 22-year-old has scored in three successive Premier League matches and has looked sharp in recent weeks.
Despite the attacker recording three goals in his first seven outings, he has still come under criticism for his overall play and defensive capabilities. Right-back Diogo Dalot was left isolated on several occasions during the 6-3 derby defeat to Manchester City earlier this month, with some pointing the finger at Antony.
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Following the 3-2 victory over Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League last week, the former Ajax winger was described as a "one-trick pony" by club legend Paul Scholes. While the former Reds midfielder is certainly a difficult man to please, Antony's impressive Old Trafford start was still not enough to warrant praise from the BT Sport pundit.
"Antony on the other side as well, he doesn’t run in behind. He seems to be a bit of a one-trick pony," Scholes said.
"He’s always cutting inside and either passing back to the full-back or having a shot. You’re thinking he needs to develop a little bit. It’s still early days for him, we know that."
After Antony put his finger to his lips following United's Premier League triumph over Everton last Sunday - which led to a social media post with a picture of the Brazilian's celebration in front of Scholes' quote - the United legend acknowledged that his comments had been received.
While Scholes might not yet be convinced by the 22-year-old attacker, Ten Hag has been keen to praise him for his impact since arriving at Old Trafford. However, the Dutchman did appear to agree with some of Scholes' criticism, suggesting that the Brazilian star still needs to develop if he wants to enjoy a solid career in Manchester.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s match against Newcastle, in response to being asked what he wanted to see more of from Antony, Ten Hag said: "Development. I think we have seen a few now from his dribble capabilities, his speed. His finishing, also his creating, but now also he has to work on more variation.
"He is a player who can adapt quickly to a high level and is a player who likes challenges, and he needs the challenges. Every training for him is a challenge, every game is a challenge, and that will make the best out of him and he likes that.
"I think there is really a lot of space for improvement with him, but I think he’s already at a really good level when you are the first player who scored in three in a row, three goals for Manchester United in all history. That already shows his potential."
Ten Hag was desperate to sign Antony during the summer transfer window, especially given that the Dutchman had worked with the winger during their time together at Ajax. The United boss has been quick to praise the Brazilian on a number of occasions - most recently during his pre-Newcastle press conference - but has also challenged the player to develop and improve.
For a player that has scored in three Premier League games in a row, Scholes' "one-trick pony" claim could be viewed as unfair, but it also provided Antony with an opportunity to prove the Reds legend wrong.
His speed, finishing and dribbling are yet to be questioned, and might not be for a few months. Many will feel that Antony has made the perfect start to life at Old Trafford, and his goal output so far would certainly support that argument. However, it is clear that Ten Hag is still looking for more from his wideman, regardless of his potential.
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