New Delhi: Joshua Zirkzee turned the mood around him as he scored his first brace since coming to Manchester United after moving to the club in the summer from Bologna. Zirkzee’s selection in the starting XI was a surprise as he replaced Rasmus Hojlund in the lineup. The decision wasn’t popular with the United fans as the 23-year-old has struggled since coming to the side.
The brace at Old Trafford will help his cause and justify his stay in the squad. The Dutch footballer’s first strike came just seven minutes after Marcus Rashford opened the deadlock for the side. Zirkzee’s first goal came after Bruno Fernandes made a brilliant pass towards a closing Zirkzee and Amad Diallo. Zirkzee reached the ball first and scored past Jordan Pickford.
His second goal in the 64th minute drove Everton out of the game. Diallo dispossessed James Tarkowski and cleared through the Toffees’ defence, with Zirkzee making no mistake for his second finish. The overall game was a memorable one for Old Trafford, who have turned their season around.
Marcus Rashford – 2 goals.
Joshua Zirkzee – 2 goals.
Bruno Fernandes – 2 assists.
Amad – 2 assists.
This is Manchester United. pic.twitter.com/7eVbiwk1Fb
— ☈ッ (@TheFergusonWay) December 1, 2024
The former Bayern Munich scored for the first time for United since match week one after being given his first start under new manager Ruben Amorim and was tried as a forward. United looked like a much different outfit today as they won their second consecutive match across the competition.
Amorim appeared much more animated as United players kept pressing. Aside from Zirkzee, Marcus Rashford also had a brilliant outing. He scored his brace within 20 seconds of the action resuming in the second half and was possibly the reason behind driving Everton out of the game.
This is Amorim’s first Premier League win, having played for a 1-1 draw in his first game against Ipswich Town. There were questions on the Red Devils, with many noting that the performance was similar to how former manager Erik ten Hag had left the team. A 3-2 win against Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Europa League has given a lot of confidence to the side. In the three games, Amorim has been in charge of United and has scored eight times, improving their scoring rate by miles.
It does seem that his policy of rotating players is working well for him, having made six changes in this game. It was due to this that Zirkzee was decided to be played ahead of previous match brace scorer Rasmus Hojlund. For now he has put a lot of questions raised to rest.
Joshua Zirkzee scored his first brace in Premier League as Ruben Amorim wins his Premier League game. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
