Ruud van Nistelrooy reactions confirm the change Manchester United have to make
During the stoppage to check the goal-stopping bounce off Joshua Zirkzee, Danny Welbeck sidled over to the touchline and caught the eye of Ruud van Nistelrooy. The pair amiably embraced.
Welbeck and Van Nistelrooy both feature in the Manchester United: Play Like Champions skills DVD that the club released in 2003. Welbeck, 12 at the time, features prominently in a clip with Roy Keane and also learns the ropes from Van Nistelrooy.
For the sixth time at the weekend, Welbeck bit the hand that once fed him. It is 10 years ago next week that Welbeck left the United nest for Arsenal and he has now scored against his boyhood club six times.
His tap-in on Saturday was the 100th of his career. Welbeck's first, a spectacular piledriver against Stoke City at the Stretford End, was in November 2008.
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Goals have never come naturally for Welbeck but he has had a quietly creditable career: a clean sweep of domestic honours and appearances at a European Championship and a World Cup. He is into his fifth year with Brighton.
There are parallels with Marcus Rashford. Welbeck tallied one goal fewer than Rashford last term. Rashford's last was on St Patrick's Day.
Rashford was the first tactical removal against Brighton in the 64th minute and that was overdue. He was flagged offside twice, strayed offside on other occasions, and struggled to get involved in United's fluid first-half build-ups.
There were times where Rashford made the run and teammates failed to pick the pass. Rashford's infamous body language was visible early on and he later admonished Andre Onana for ostensibly delaying a clipped pass. Rashford was offside twice