Manchester United’s new signing Antony was one of the stars of the show on Sunday as he managed to score on his debut for his team to claim an emphatic 3-1 victory against arch-rivals Arsenal.
Speaking to club media in Carrington on Monday, Antony was beaming as he reflected on his first game and his first goal for the club.
Praising Marcus Rashford, who also scored and assisted his goal, he said: “Marcus passed the ball perfectly so when it came to me I didn’t have much else to do.
“I saw the goalkeeper and the ball came to me just right to place it like I did. I was very happy to follow my instinct.”
His goal marked the difference between the two teams at half-time.
Asked to analyze the goal, the Brazilian opined: “Bruno Fernandes had the ball, I think he shrugged off Gabriel Jesus and then he touched the ball to Jadon Sancho.
“Sancho touched Marcus and I knew he could slide the ball any way he could. And when Marcus, being a very smart player, realized that he could run, I just walked out. He slid the ball and I took the chance well.”
Antony was delighted to score his first goal for the club at Old Trafford and hoped this would be the first of many.
“Scoring my first goal and sharing this moment with the crowd, with a great atmosphere, was brilliant.”
He continued: “From the moment I stepped on the field, I already had goosebumps because I know how much I wanted to be here and I know how much the crowd wanted this.”
As for the ball causing the back of the net to bulge, he said: “When I saw the ball go in and the net was shaking, I expressed all my feelings the way I did.”
Antony became the 21st United player to score on his Premier League debut.
When he scored, he posed like a big cat roaring and when asked about it, Antony burst out laughing.
“It’s a friends thing. When I score a goal, my friends know what it is, it’s a tiger. That’s how I celebrate.”
Antony was United’s biggest threat while on the pitch and United fans are hoping he can keep it up throughout the season.
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