Marcus Rashford scored his 100th goal for Manchester United as they defeated West Ham United 1-0 at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Red Devils have moved up into fifth just one point behind Newcastle United in fourth, and have a game in hand on both the Magpies and Tottenham Hotspur.
Rashford became the 22nd player in the club’s history to become a centurion joining former legends including Sir Bobby Charlton and Wayne Rooney. The versatile forward became the first United star to hit a century of goals since Rooney back in 2009.
He grabbed the momentous goal and eventual match-winner late in the first half at a stage where the game needed something special to bring it to life. Rashford leapt like a salmon to fire a bullet header past Lukasz Fabianski as he met a sublime cross floated in by Christian Eriksen.
The goal not only reflected Rashford’s contributions to the club since his breakthrough in 2016, but the key role he has played in Erik ten Hag’s new-look side.
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The 24-year-old is United’s top goalscorer in all competitions this term with seven, of which four have been scored in the league. After a bitterly disappointing campaign on a personal level in 2021-22, it is exceptional how quickly Rashford has rediscovered his confidence under Ten Hag.
England boss Gareth Southgate was in attendance at Old Trafford and while he would have been paying attention to several England stars in action, he would have been keeping a close eye on Rashford’s performance. Not only because he has been a revitalised player (he has already surpassed his tally of five goals in all competitions last year), but because he has been in better form than the attackers Southgate has called upon ahead of him in recent squads
Raheem Sterling, despite being England’s best player at Euro 2020, has struggled to get going at Chelsea following his summer move from Manchester City. Rashford’s United teammate Jadon Sancho has also struggled to justify his hefty £73 million price tag since joining from Borussia Dortmund last summer. Jarrod Bowen’s dip in form has reflected West Ham’s own stagnation after a brilliant season in 2021-22.
Although Bukayo Saka has also been on song this term, the Arsenal man was forced off in the first half with a physical issue in the Gunners’ 5-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Rashford looked lively from the off, it was as if he knew that the next three matches are vital in securing him a place at the World Cup. He had a handful of chances and looked sharp when carrying the ball forward for his team.
Although he was playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo against the Hammers on Sunday evening, Rashford has been United’s main goal threat this term and has played the role to perfection. Whereas Ronaldo, 13 years Rashford's senior, has continued to be a PR nightmare, while also delivering underwhelming performances on the pitch.
Meanwhile, Rashford has bought into the new culture implemented by the new boss, and has been working tirelessly to rediscover his own form. He has been rewarded for his efforts and this has only strengthened his claim for a place in Qatar.
Right now, Rashford walks into Southgate’s World Cup squad and his impressive displays for United have provided fans with hope for some much-needed improvement after some disappointing results in England's last two international breaks.
