Andreas Pereira has reason to smile this morning after netting twice in United’s second friendly match with West Brom yesterday.
His two goals along with one from Tahith Chong earned United a 3-1 win in the second game.
The goals were really well taken too. One he ran on to a superb through ball from Fred and slotted the ball expertly across the onrushing goalkeeper low into the corner.
The other strike was even more impressive, curling the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box.
This was a more confident Andreas than we have seen at times, and it was good to see.
Been here before
We want fringe players to step up to keep the regulars on their toes. Pereira will likely just be a bench player when the Premier League returns, but it does no harm at all for him to build up his confidence.
He carried on where he left off after his injury time goal against LASK from long range in the Europa League in March.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that Pereira’s three goals in two matches have come behind closed doors.
He has struggled for confidence at times. He may just play better when the pressure is off.
If that is the case, it is a good omen for the next six weeks, with no fans in attendance for any of the Premier League fixtures. We may see a more uninhibited Pereira than we did in the first half of the campaign.
We have seen this before though from Pereira, false dawns in pre-season matches.
Performing and changing games in the more intense Premier League is very different.
His goals at least offer him some hope, and are a little intriguing. Having previously written him off, perhaps he is not done yet.
Fan reaction
Here is a look at the social media reaction to Pereira’s surprise brace…
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