X reacts to incredible Alejandro Garnacho overhead kick against Everton

Much was made of the cauldron of noise Manchester United would walk into when they visited Goodison Park to take on Everton on Sunday.

The Toffees’ recent ten-point deduction prompted displays of protest from the home side’s fans ahead of the late afternoon kick-off, but the vociferous crowd was quietened in emphatic fashion inside the first five minutes courtesy of some Alejandro Garnacho magic.

Under 180 seconds into the contest, the Argentinian winger leapt into the air and produced his best Wayne Rooney impression, connecting flush with an overhead kick from near the edge of the box that whizzed into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Jordan Pickford rooted to the spot.

For a Man Utd side that has struggled throughout the season, it was a magnificent start to a tough-looking fixture.

The Red Devils came into the Everton game off the back of two league wins over Fulham and Luton to move them closer to the European qualification places, though they were still eighth directly before Sunday’s match.

Some iconic players have scored overhead kicks over the years. Large strikers like Peter Crouch, Dimitar Berbatov and Andy Carroll have defied their physiques to net the most graceful of acrobatic efforts in the Premier League, while Sebastian Haller, Erling Haaland and Danny Ings have produced similar blockbusters more recently.

Garnacho’s strike certainly vindicated Erik ten Hag’s decision to start him, though there were few experienced alternatives to the 19-year-old on a United bench left bare by a swathe of injuries to the first-team squad.

Stars like Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen all missed the trip to Goodison Park, but all three of them would at least have been entertained by the sheer quality of Garnacho’s strike.