3 goals in a row 

©TM/IMAGO

It’s fair to conclude that Antony’s move to Manchester United was an unmitigated disaster and emblematic of the club’s abominable recent recruitment. After a terrible start to the 2021/22 season under new manager Erik ten Hag, United paid Ajax €95 million to reunite the Dutchman with Antony. The Brazilian, however, was available for a significantly lower fee earlier in the window and United massively overpaid after panicking to make him their second most expensive signing in history – Antony’s market value on Transfermarkt was just €35m when he moved to Old Trafford.

The pressure was on Antony to deliver and expectations were unrealistic and he failed to impress with just 17 goal contributions in 96 games. The 24-year-old promised United fans they’d see the real Antony this season but he provided just one goal in 14 games before being dispatched to Real Betis on-loan in January. But the Brazil international has been a revelation since moving to Spain, winning three consecutive man-of-the-match awards in LaLiga and he’s beginning to rediscover his Ajax form that caught the attention of major European clubs.

Antony: Man United and Real Betis form compared

On Sunday, Antony scored in his third consecutive game for Betis with a stunning left-footed volley in the 3-0 win over Real Sociedad. It was also the second game in a row that Antony had opened the scoring and he continued his tremendous impact with an assist for Marc Roca’s third game. As the graphic below illustrates, Antony has now scored three goals and provided an assist in his four games for Betis.

The Brazilian has settled in brilliantly in Seville and his attacking output is in stark contrast to his struggles at Man United. Antony has provided 1.17 goal contributions per 90 minutes at Betis compared to 0.22 at United this season. The three goals that Antony has scored in green and white matches his record across his last 30 games for United. Despite showing promise in his maiden season at Old Trafford, Antony endured a dreadful 2022/23 campaign with just five goal contributions in all competitions. The right-winger struggled with the pace and intensity of the Premier League but his skill set is more suited to LaLiga after flourishing in the Eredivisie – Antony provided 44 goal contributions across two seasons at Ajax.

Antony’s stunning impact at Real Betis

Real Betis are paying around 83% of Antony’s wage on a straight loan deal and it’s understood there’s no purchase order included. United will be hoping the Brazilian’s performances will increase his value – currently at €20m on Transfermarkt – ahead of a permanent sale in the summer. According to the Manchester Evening News, United have a recall option in Antony’s contract but they are unlikely to activate that despite their attacking options being extremely sparse. The winger is thriving in LaLiga and Transfermarkt’s Spanish football expert Ivan Turmo believes he could be the catalyst to Betis’ European dreams.

“Antony is becoming one of Real Betis’ great hopes for the final stretch of the season,” Turmo said. “After a rather irregular start, the Andalusian team is closer to qualifying for European competitions. The Brazilian’s role is being highlighted with three goals and an assist in four games in all competitions, in addition to having forced a penalty yesterday that Lo Celso missed. In fact, the explosive Antony only needs a few sparks to demonstrate his talent and is justifying the title of the most valuable January signing in LaLiga. In the last four days he was key after opening the scoring on two occasions and achieving the first league victory at home since the end of October.”