Manchester United fans haven’t had a lot to shout about this season.
Yet, amid the frustration of what will be their worst-ever Premier League campaign, they have found solace in Europe.
Heading into Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second-leg against Lyon, the Red Devils had won 8, drawn 4, and lost 0.
It looked like that 0 would become 1 after 113 minutes of thrilling, tumultuous football at Old Trafford.
What happened in the next 7 minutes befitted the arena they call the Theatre of Dreams.
Having led the tie 4-2 at half-time, Ruben Amorim’s side succumbed to Lyon’s second-half onslaught to send the match to extra-time.
Despite playing with 10 men, the fearless visitors took the lead in the 104th minute. Five minutes later, they led 6-4.
Then a Bruno Fernandes penalty goes in, and Old Trafford senses that not all is done, that there may still be something worth fighting for in the drought of 2024/25.
Five minutes go by, six minutes go by, and then Kobbie Mainoo receives the ball in the penalty area. Bedlam. 6-6.
Amid the mayhem of the past 15 minutes, Harry Maguire has been playing up front for Manchester United. Harry Maguire is a centre-back.
But when the Sheffield stallion was found at the back post one minute later, he’d never looked more like a centre-forward in his life.
Bang. Delivered first-class from the kernel of Harry Maguire’s forehead, the ball nestles into the net, and Manchester United still have something to play for this season.
Seldom has Old Trafford been so loud
Oh my god I have just watched Sir Gareth Southgate on resilience, determination, role models, social media, toxic influencers, real connections, & how you deal with adversity
It is a MUST WATCH
https://t.co/4cdpMh0fU6
Supporting @England unites the country like nothing else.
1970-2016 was disappointment & resignation to underachievement.
2018-2024 was joy at unprecedented progress, with exception of cynical revisionists.
Southgate heralded that era with grace. Lifelong memories 🤍
The solution as to which channel to watch Sunday's final on is quite simple: Watch the first half on the BBC, switch over to ITV at half-time to hear Tom Grennan's rendition of Gillette (The Best A Man Can Get), then it's back to the BBC for the remainder of the match.
Amid mass personal criticism, Southgate has never wavered from anything but calmness, integrity & class.
His experience & amiability w/ talented squads has heralded an unprecedented era of men’s performance & produced lifelong memories.
Exemplary Englishman. One more step. 🏴
“We all want to be loved, right?”.
This last answer of Gareth Southgate’s @England 🏴 press conference 🇳🇱 shows how the criticism of him earlier in the tournament hurt him personally.
So happy he/they have managed to turn it around. He’s a great leader.
We're thrilled to be named on @thetimes💯 list of the UK’s fastest-growing private companies for a 3️⃣rd successive year 🎉
This achievement wouldn't have been possible without the dedication of all Two Circlers and the unwavering support of our clients🤝
https://t.co/ufUGDWexaG
This week’s column on Gareth Southgate, the importance of moments and the strange lack of gratitude towards a manager who redefined possibilities.
https://t.co/CVRGigAPEi via @MailSport
Rare watch of some horse racing has jogged my memory about the afternoon I spent in 2017 with @RacingPost, being interviewed for a student’s perspective on the sport.
The headline and image selection still prove a reliable source of laughter for family and friends to this day…