April is considered by many to be the craziest month of the year as the weather is unstable and subject to swift and sudden changes. Unfortunately for Manchester United, this year madness characterized April not just in meteorological terms, but also in footballing ones as the Reds opened up a seemingly unbridgeable eight-point lead before squandering it in three games.
One player who wasn’t affected by United’s dip was Antonio Valencia. The Ecuadorian swept opponents aside and was United player of the month, proving a handful for fullbacks across the country.
Valencia got his month off to a flyer as he unlocked Blackburn’s defence with a fantastic strike eight minutes from time that put United on course for an important away win in front of more than 7000 travelling fans, before setting up Ashley Young for the second goal of the game.
Valencia was instrumental again against QPR, as United won comfortably but couldn’t turn things around four days after as a return to former club Wigan was marred by a 1-0 defeat.
United were back to winning ways against Aston Villa as the Ecuadorian produced another excellent display, causing all sorts of problem to Villa’s left back Eric Lichaj and providing the assist for Danny Welbeck’s goal as United thumped the Villains 4-0.
A week later against Everton, Valencia was rather more subdued as United threw away a two-goal lead which could have devastating effects in the title race even more than United loss at City eight days later – in which Valencia was surprisingly excluded from the starting line-up in favour of Ji-Sung Park – and which ended April on a sour note for the red half of Manchester.
Regardless of what happens in the next two weeks, Antonio Valencia could consider his season a successful one as he became a figure of paramount importance for United, providing not only crosses and assists but a physical presence to be reckoned with at both ends of the pitch.
Arguably the first out-and-out winger to grace Old Trafford since Andrei Kanchelskis – considering Ronaldo a winger is both a dated approach and a flawed one all the same – he has come leaps and bounds this season, developing an excellent partnership with Rafael and United fans will definitely not mind to see the famous number 7 shirt on his shoulders next season.
Opponent |
Minutes Played |
Assists |
Goals |
Shots |
Shots on goal |
Fouls committed |
Fouls suffered |
Yellow cards |
Red cards |
Blackburn (away) |
90 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
– |
1 |
– |
QPR (home) |
90 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
2 |
– |
– |
– |
Wigan (away) |
90 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
4 |
– |
– |
– |
Aston Villa (home) |
90 |
1 |
– |
4 |
1 |
1 |
– |
– |
– |
Everton (home) |
88 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
1 |
1 |
– |
– |
City (away) |
13 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
1 |
– |
– |
– |
Daniele (@MUFC_dan87)
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