Appearing in his first match for Manchester United since 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo electrified the home crowd at Old Trafford by scoring twice in a 4-1 win over Newcastle United.
Manchester United completed the signing of Ronaldo from Juventus last month, and it didn't take long for the superstar striker from Portugal to make an impact.
During stoppage time in the first half, Ronaldo deposited a rebound off a shot from Mason Greenwood into the back of the net to give the Red Devils a 1-0 lead:
NBC Sports Soccer @NBCSportsSoccerIT DIDN'T TAKE LONG!<a href="https://twitter.com/Cristiano?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cristiano</a> is BACK. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/k3laVNuStA">pic.twitter.com/k3laVNuStA</a>
That marked Ronaldo's first goal for Manchester United and in English Premier League play in 4,507 days.
OptaJoe noted that the 12-year, 124-day gap in between EPL goals was the second-longest in the history of the league by any player:
OptaJoe @OptaJoe12y 124d - Cristiano Ronaldo has scored his first Premier League goal since May 2009 (v Man City); his gap of 12 years and 124 days between goals is the second-longest between two strikes by any player in the competition's history, after Matt Jackson (13y 187d, 1993-2006). Gift. <a href="https://t.co/K071k8T1LW">pic.twitter.com/K071k8T1LW</a>
The Premier League provided a different angle of the moment Ronaldo announced his return to the EPL with a goal:
Premier League @premierleague📸 12 years and 124 days since we last saw Cristiano Ronaldo score in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PL</a>, this happens...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUNNEW?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUNNEW</a> <a href="https://t.co/ceuvUgBgpR">pic.twitter.com/ceuvUgBgpR</a>
In addition to nearly making history for the longest time between EPL goals, Ronaldo became one of the oldest players to ever score a goal for Manchester United at 36:
OptaJoe @OptaJoe36y 218d - Cristiano Ronaldo is the oldest player to score for Man Utd in the Premier League since Ryan Giggs in February 2013 (39y 86d v QPR), while only Giggs and Paul Scholes have ever scored for the Red Devils in the competition at an older age than Ronaldo. Longevity. <a href="https://t.co/SqDG0qRriy">pic.twitter.com/SqDG0qRriy</a>
With the 119th goal of his Manchester United career and his 675th career goal overall, Ronaldo helped United enter the locker room with a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Manchester United had all the momentum after one half of play, but Newcastle looked to play spoiler, and it appeared as though it would for a short period of time.
In the 56th minute, Javier Manquillo netted the equalizer when he beat United goalkeeper David de Gea off a beautiful run down the right wing:
NBC Sports Soccer @NBCSportsSoccerEVEN AT ONE!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NUFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NUFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/D7VYps8dpm">pic.twitter.com/D7VYps8dpm</a>
That took some of the air out of the Old Trafford faithful, but it wasn't long before CR7 had them back on their feet again.
Just six minutes after Manquillo scored, Ronaldo blazed his way through the defense and put the ball between the legs of goalkeeper Freddie Woodman to put United back on top 2-1:
NBC Sports Soccer @NBCSportsSoccerRONALDO x2!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/KE2Jp6lV5l">pic.twitter.com/KE2Jp6lV5l</a>
That goal turned out to be the game-winner, and it pushed Manchester United to the top of the EPL table ahead of Tottenham Hotspur after it lost 3-0 to Crystal Palace.
A Bruno Fernandes wonder strike in the 80th minute put the match out of reach:
NBC Sports Soccer @NBCSportsSoccer"DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME."<br><br>Bruno Fernandes scores for <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ManUtd</a>. 🚀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/zTu8tUlmOa">pic.twitter.com/zTu8tUlmOa</a>
Jesse Lingard added a fourth goal for Manchester United in stoppage time, placing the cherry on top of the squad's impressive performance.
Ronaldo enjoyed incredible success at Real Madrid and Juventus, developing into one of the greatest soccer players of all time, but Saturday felt like a true homecoming.
United fans showered Ronaldo with adulation, coming unglued when he took the pitch before the start of the match:
Manchester United @ManUtdJust listen to that noise 😱🔊<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUFC</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUNNEW?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUNNEW</a> <a href="https://t.co/YETEMXexCs">pic.twitter.com/YETEMXexCs</a>
There was also no shortage of Ronaldo jerseys in the crowd, signaling how excited the supporters were to have him back in the fold:
Goal @goalCristiano Ronaldo's No.7️⃣ shirts have taken over Old Trafford 😍 <a href="https://t.co/o2UmGONjPp">pic.twitter.com/o2UmGONjPp</a>
With Ronaldo's return and Manchester United ascending to the top of the standings, the excitement surrounding the club has reached a fever pitch.
Manchester United has not won an EPL title since the 2012-13 season, but with Ronaldo back in town, the Red Devils have a great chance to improve on last season's runner-up finish.
Ronaldo's next chance to impress will come Tuesday in a UEFA Champions League match against BSC Young Boys, while the next EPL match for United will be Sept. 19 against West Ham United.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicmh0dHBzOi8vYmxlYWNoZXJyZXBvcnQuY29tL2FydGljbGVzLzEwMDEyMTkzLWNyaXN0aWFuby1yb25hbGRvLXNjb3Jlcy1icmFjZS1pbi10cml1bXBoYW50LW1hbmNoZXN0ZXItdW5pdGVkLXJldHVybtIBggFodHRwczovL3N5bmRpY2F0aW9uLmJsZWFjaGVycmVwb3J0LmNvbS9hbXAvMTAwMTIxOTMtY3Jpc3RpYW5vLXJvbmFsZG8tc2NvcmVzLWJyYWNlLWluLXRyaXVtcGhhbnQtbWFuY2hlc3Rlci11bml0ZWQtcmV0dXJuLmFtcC5odG1s?oc=5
2021-09-11 16:02:40Z
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