Let’s rewind to January 16, when Manchester United welcomed bottom-of-the-table Southampton to Old Trafford aiming to snap a three-game losing streak on home soil. The Red Devils went in at the break 1-0 down courtesy of an own-goal from Manuel Ugarte, and in a bid to turn the tide, head coach Ruben Amorim brought on Antony for Kobbie Mainoo at the start of the second half.
On the hour mark, Antony was presented with a glorious chance to level proceedings. Alejandro Garnacho burst into the box before firing a low cross to Antony at the back post, and it seemed like a certainty that he would turn the ball into an empty net from barely a yard out. Yet somehow, the Brazilian completely miscued a sliding shot on his weaker right side, and it slowly trickled into the arms of relieved Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
“That’s the miss of the season. I can’t believe that. Why has he gone to ground?” former Rangers and Scotland striker Ally McCoist questioned while commentating on the game for TNT Sports. It did not come as a surprise to any of the United fans in the crowd that night, though.
Antony had become a figure of ridicule at Old Trafford long before that moment, having only managed five goals in his previous 60 Premier League appearances, a truly abysmal return from a player who the club paid Ajax £85 million ($108m) for back in August 2023. It did appear to be the final straw, though, as United sanctioned a loan exit for Antony 10 days later after receiving an attractive offer from Real Betis.
That deal effectively cemented Antony’s status as one of the biggest flops in United’s history – but no one is laughing at him anymore. He has spectacularly silenced his critics in his first month at Betis, and heading into a blockbuster clash against Real Madrid on Saturday, he finds his name up in lights alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr…