Ruben Amorim called on Ayden Heaven to help Manchester United fend off Arsenal at Old Trafford.
The injury crisis at Manchester United left Ruben Amorim extremely short of options for Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League.
Victor Lindelof was handed a rare start alongside Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro in the back three, but the latter was brought off at half-time having struggled with a foot injury.
It was £1m January signing Ayden Heaven who was brought on to make his Premier League debut, and the 18-year-old certainly impressed.
United fans raved about Heaven’s display, while Amorim piled praise on Heaven, tipping him to be a “very good player” for the club.
Chido Obi and Alejandro Garnacho reply to Ayden Heaven
It seems United have another gem on their hands. Heaven was near-perfect on his debut against Fulham, and he followed it up with another impressive performance against his former side.
Heaven is considered a first-team player, and he can expect to be handed plenty more minutes after making a strong first impression.
After the Arsenal draw, he took to Instagram to celebrate his Premier League debut, and his United teammates flooded the comment section.
Alejandro Garnacho replied “What a player”, while Chido Obi and Toby Collyer both replied with a heart.
Joshua Zirkzee also replied to the post, with five star emojis for Heaven’s five-star display.
The numbers behind Ayden Heaven’s display vs Arsenal
Heaven was thrown into the mix at Old Trafford when United were defending a one-goal lead gained through Fernandes’ controversial free-kick.
He handled the occasion superbly and even had time to gee up the Old Trafford crowd after making a well-timed tackle near the touchline.
Heaven’s match stats against Arsenal prove that United have a future star in the making:
| Minutes played | 45 |
| Touches | 18 |
| Passes completed | 50% (4/8) |
| Duels won | 60% (3/5) |
| Tackles completed | 100% 1/1 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Clearances | 3 |
READ MORE: 4 winners and 3 losers as Manchester United draw 1-1 vs Arsenal
Heaven settled in straight away after coming off the bench, with Amorim praising his “relaxed” attitude after the game.
If Yoro’s injury is serious, then the 18-year-old could find himself back in action on Thursday for United’s crucial second leg against Real Sociedad.
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