On Saturday afternoon, when Manchester United needed a spark beneath the Wembley arch, Erik ten Hag turned his bench and charged Alejandro Garnacho with giving it.
United trailed 2-1 with just under 30 minutes remaining, and their chances of derailing Manchester City’s treble bid were diminishing. Despite Bruno Fernandes’ penalty, which brought the Reds level in the first half, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho had failed to lay a glove on City’s tough and trustworthy defense, implying that a change was required.
Due to injuries to Anthony Martial and Antony in the run-up to the FA Cup final, Ten Hag was forced to reconfigure his forward line, with Fernandes starting on the right and Rashford playing through the middle. If everyone had been available and fit, Antony would almost definitely have started on the right, Martial in the middle, and Rashford on the left.
