‘His timing is perfect’: Ronaldo hits stunning volley, provides superb assist as Man Utd bounce back to buy Solskjaer time
Fans saluted Cristiano Ronaldo after his stunning goal and assist helped Manchester United to a 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team bounced back from their hammering by Liverpool.
Reeling from a 5-0 defeat to their bitter rivals at Old Trafford last weekend, under-fire manager Solskjaer went with a different look when facing the north Londoners away.
Banking on a 3-4-3 formation, Bruno Fernandes provided central attacking midfield support to veteran front two Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani.
With a combined age of 70, there were plenty of wisecracks about the Ronaldo-Cavani link-up from internet onlookers before kick-off.
Yet approaching half time, the Norwegian coach's bravery started to pay off and they were starting to eat their words.
As part of a move that culminated in what admirers are already calling a Goal of the Season candidate, the Portuguese connection provided the goods as Ronaldo latched on to a Fernandes cross to let off a sweet volley and make it 1-0.
I lived to see this !!! @ManUtd RONALDO HAS MADE MY DAY !!! I’m ready to leave before any upset . Or should I stay . OH MY GOSH !! #GGMU pic.twitter.com/GnF5JqirFG
— iPaapa????????♂️ (@ipaapa) October 30, 2021
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was lauded as 'Mr Clutch' as it was remarked how Ronaldo "steps up every time his team needs him".
"Give the ball to Ronaldo" ???? pic.twitter.com/yMONU0DBrD
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) October 30, 2021
“Cristiano Ronaldo is the problem.” ????
— Ryan. ???? (@Vintage_Utd) October 30, 2021
Crazy how Ronaldo steps up everytime his team needs him and the fact that he does it under a broken system.
— Haseeb. (@futbolhbk) October 30, 2021
Mr Clutch. pic.twitter.com/aStTuvYGvh
Cristiano Ronaldo isolating a defender and then timing his movement behind him to perfection, is his most iconic trait as he’s got older. The off-the-ball movement for that goal is sublime.
— Premier League Panel (@PremLeaguePanel) October 30, 2021
After seeing another superb strike ruled out for a marginal offside early in the second half, Ronaldo proved that the moment of brilliance wasn't a flash in the pan by providing an assist to Cavani for the Uruguayan's first strike of the season on 64 minutes.
"Not bad for such a 'selfish' player," quipped fanboy and TV motormouth Piers Morgan.
Ohhh CLASSY Ronaldo Wht an assist that was ????????????????????. Ronaldo x cavani #TOTMUN ???? pic.twitter.com/eolNyxjqCt
— Hunaif (@hunaif_7) October 30, 2021
WHAT. A. GOAL. Cavani gets his first of the season after some brilliant work from Ronaldo
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) October 30, 2021
And now a brilliant Ronaldo assist for Cavani to score.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 30, 2021
Not bad for such a ‘selfish’ player. ????
???????? Ronaldo X Cavani ????????
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 30, 2021
Man United might have found their new strike partnership ???? pic.twitter.com/1zhzoigOB3
Even with Marcus Rashford bagging the third and final goal, it was observed that United might have finally found their strike partnership in Ronaldo and Cavani, plus a formation that works.
As it was also said that Ronaldo saved Solskjaer's job, others made calls for Antonio Conte to come in given the Italian's success with 3-4-3 in a Premier League title-winning campaign at Chelsea.
Ronaldo saving Ole’s job pic.twitter.com/uLd690LgFp
— Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) October 30, 2021
12 - Cristiano Ronaldo has both scored and assisted a goal for the 12th time in a Premier League match, with three of these occasions coming against Tottenham. Favourite. #TOTMUN pic.twitter.com/KLnxmUXTRE
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 30, 2021
⚽️ Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored in 6 successive appearances v Tottenham, spanning over 12 years
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) October 30, 2021
At 36 years, 267 days, he becomes the oldest scorer in the 59 PL matches between Man Utd & Spurs (previously Ryan Giggs, 36 years, 146 days in Apr 2010) pic.twitter.com/OqRGCcMtdO
Furthermore, Ronaldo's showing saw him boost impressive stats against Spurs.
This was the 12th time that he had scored and assisted a goal in an English top flight match, and three of those occurrences took place at their expense.
More specifically, he has netted in six straight matches against the Londoners over a 12-year stretch and became the oldest ever scorer in matches between the two clubs at 36 years and 267 days, surpassing Ryan Giggs in April 2010.
Unsurprisingly, former teammate Gary Neville dubbed Ronaldo the Man of the Match on Sky Sports.
???? "One day is perfect and another day we are crap."
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 30, 2021
Cristiano Ronaldo understands the criticism that Manchester United received after their defeat to Liverpool pic.twitter.com/o33y8CIyKx
"The old men led from the front."
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 30, 2021
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praises the work rate that Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo put in for Man United pic.twitter.com/Mkiv5ZsRTH