Player Manchester United sold shows Antony how it’s done with derby brace

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Dan James enjoyed a ‘great’ weekend for Leeds while former employers Manchester United suffered a humbling defeat in their own local derby. 

The respective moods at Elland Road and Old Trafford could hardly have been any more different. One joyous and jubilant, the other mired in mutiny.

Leeds, some 24 hours before Manchester United collapsed at home to their blue-clad rivals from across the city, found themselves 4-0 up and cruising by the time the referee blew for half-time against Huddersfield Town, former Red Devil Dan James showcasing the sort of dead-eyed ruthlessness which appears to have deserted Erik ten Hag’s own forwards.

Manchester United sold Dan James to Leeds

“It was a great day for us,” James beams, opening the scoring against the neutered, toothless Terriers with a fierce finish before doubling his tally just after the half-hour mark (Leeds website).

“Coming into a derby today was never going to be easy. But we got off to a great start and the goals kept coming.”

You certainly can’t say the same for the club James left in a £25 million deal three summers back.

You’ve probably seen the stat by now, courtesy of Sky Sports. Marcus Rashford is the only member of the misfiring United frontline to score a Premier League goal so far this term, and even he looks a pale imitation of the man who, only a few months ago, was performing like Manchester’s answer to Kylian Mbappe.

Antony’s nightmare goes on

Antony, the man who eventually inherited James’ right-wing spot at Old Trafford, has found the net only once in league football over the last 12 months, and the sight of the Brazilian starting on the bench against City did little to quell the notion that his eye-watering price-tag is destined to remain un-justified.

“Dan James was more useful than Antony is my hot take today,” The Athletic’s Adam Crafton wrote on X.

Whether you agree or not, the statistics certainly don’t look favourably upon Antony’s impact. The jet-heeled James produced 18 goals or assists in 74 games for United, an average of one goal contribution every 4.1 games. Antony’s average, meanwhile, stands at nearly one every five games, and he cost some £60 million more than the Welsh road runner.