Anthony Elanga is proving Rangnick right about his Manchester United teammates

Elanga brings the energy

Ralf Rangnick used the first paragraph of his programme notes to again demand more aggression from Manchester United and if he was using Anthony Elanga as an example for that approach in midweek, he was doing it again against Watford.

The intensity in United's play against the Hornets noticeably lifted every time Elanga became involved. A performance that was at times pedestrian would have energy injected into it when Elanga got on the ball and tried to make things happen.

The teenager has been a super-sub over the past week, scoring off the bench against Leeds and Atletico Madrid, but he had been deserving of a start and this was arguably his best performance yet when in the team from the off.

After his goal in the Wanda Metropolitano Elanga spoke with a growing sense of confidence and it was evident in his display at Old Trafford, not just on the ball but off it. He was far more animated with his body language, demanding the ball and generally looking more engaged than his teammates.

Rangnick has been making the point about United's aggression, or lack of it, for two months now and little is changing. It's easy to play with that kind of intensity at Leeds and Atletico Madrid, but altogether harder at home to Watford.

Once again Elanga set the example for his teammates to follow. Rangnick probably hurt a few egos in midweek when he told the rest of his squad to follow the way of a 19-year-old, but this performance proved they didn't take the advice.

Missed chances

It felt the tone for the afternoon at Old Trafford was set by the time the clock had hit 20 minutes. By that point, Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo had both missed two excellent chances apiece.

United began the game strongly