David De Gea flying like Spider-Man
Manchester United players praised goalkeeper David de Gea for his outstanding saves against Leicester in the Premier League on February 19th.
“De Gea cannot be replaced,” former striker Dimitar Berbatov said. “His two saves today came in situations that seemed certain goals. But De Gea reacted as quickly as Spider-Man and didn’t let the opponent score. At 0-0, Man Utd was much easier to play than being 0-2 down.”
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In the eighth minute, forward Harvey Barnes rushed down to face the goalkeeper and shot low to the far corner. However, De Gea raised his hand and pushed the ball away for a save.
In the 20th minute, striker Kelechi Iheanacho headed the ball toward the near post. And the 33-year-old goalkeeper once again dove to push the ball away right on the goal line. In both situations, at least one Leicester player was seen holding their head in regret. So, no doubt is that De Gea is one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Berbatov was also impressed with two other Manchester United players in this match, the forwards. The former Bulgarian international believed that Rashford is “in a different class”, while Wout Weghorst was highly praised for his efforts on the pitch. “Weghorst may not score many goals, but he creates pressure with unbelievable intensity, holds the ball well, and creates space for his teammates,” Berbatov added. “If a Manchester United central midfielder is injured, Weghorst could easily play in that position.”
Rashford scored twice, and Jadon Sancho also scored to help Manchester United defeat Leicester 3-0 on February 19th. Weghorst had the most shots in the game, including two good chances but failed to capitalize. However, the 1.97m tall striker supported both the defense from afar and up close, with four successful tackles.
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Rashford was selected as the best player of the match, as he scored in 14 of 17 games after the 2022 World Cup. The 26-year-old forward also admired the goalkeeper, saying “the team could not have won without De Gea.” Coach Erik ten Hag also said, “Man Utd played poorly in the first half, and would have conceded if it weren’t for De Gea’s talent.”
Keeping a clean sheet in this match, De Gea tied Peter Schmeichel’s record of 180 clean sheets for Man Utd, in 521 matches. Schmeichel himself praised his successor on Twitter, saying “This clean sheet was difficult, but De Gea deserved it with two saves from another planet. Congratulations on your fantastic achievement.”
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