Cristiano Ronaldo remains the shining light in a disappointing season for Manchester United.
Make those 18 English Premier League goals for the Portugal superstar after converting a penalty that was earned in a 3-0 win over Brentford on Monday.
Ronaldo also had a goal disallowed at Old Trafford for narrow offside as United saved one of their best performances of the season for their final home game. Bruno Fernandes and Raphael Varane _ making his debut in English football _ were the other scorers.
The win kept alive, mathematically at least, sixth-placed United’s chance of finishing in the top four and qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, centre, celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the English Premier League match. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
However, United have just two games left and are five points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and three behind Tottenham, with both rivals still having four to play.
Ronaldo, who has scored in each of his last four games, is third in the league’s top scorers list behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (22) and Tottenham’s Son Heung-min (19).
And he will be back next season, unlike some of the other players on the United team.
United fans gave veterans Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata a standing ovation when they were substituted in their final appearances at Old Trafford. It was also the last home game in charge of caretaker coach Ralf Rangnick, who will be replaced by Erik ten Hag during the offseason.
Monday marked a year since United’s home game against Liverpool was postponed, as fans made clear their anger at the Glazer family’s ownership in the wake of the European Super League debacle.
Supporters have protested at each of United’s last three home games and anti-Glazer sentiment was evident before and during the win against Brentford.
It was the first game Brentford had lost with Christian Eriksen in the team and he was pulling the strings in the London club’s first competitive game at Old Trafford since 1975.
Anthony Elanga scored the opening goal in the ninth minute, sprinting down the right and centering for Fernandes to volley in.
Ronaldo was proving to be a handful, forcing David Raya into an awkward save from a long-range free kick, then angrily claiming he should have gotten a penalty following Mads Bech Sorensen’s challenge.
Ronaldo then cleverly launched a pass to Mata, who fired a shot wide of the near post in his first Premier League start of the season. The roles were reversed when Mata broke down the left and sent a low cross that Ronaldo beat Raya. Provider and goalscorer celebrated together, only for the goal to be disallowed following a VAR review.
United created some respite in the 61st minute when Ronaldo was pushed into the box by Rico Henry before sending Raya the wrong way in front of a euphoric Stretford End.
Before the final goal, Pontus Jansson almost turned Ronaldo’s cross into his own goal, but it went from behind for a corner. Telles spun him around and Varane hooked the ball through a small deflection.
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