via Reuters
Soccer Football – Premier League – Manchester United v Manchester City – Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain – November 6, 2021 Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo reacts REUTERS/Craig Brough EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
via Reuters
Soccer Football – Premier League – Manchester United v Manchester City – Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain – November 6, 2021 Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo reacts REUTERS/Craig Brough EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Cristiano Ronaldo is an unbelievable player, and even at 36, he is playing at the highest level. Ronaldo returned to Manchester United, his boyhood club, this season, and has put in some performances that defy all logic and sense.
He has been the club’s top scorer this season, but all hasn’t been well. United had been going through a rough phase and they had to sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after a horrible start in the Premier League that saw them sit as low as 7th place in the table this season.
However, things are beginning to look good again after United recorded back-to-back victories against Brentford and West Ham. Ronaldo played both of the matches, but he did not score a goal. However, there was a chance, when he was stepping up to take a freekick against West Ham, which started a conversation.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Ronaldo and his record on freekicks
Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the best free-kick takers in the world and his record had been exemplary. He has the knuckleball technique in his arsenal and he used it to score a lot of goals from free-kicks at Manchester United and Real Madrid. However, that doesn’t happen anymore.
Ronaldo hasn’t scored a free-kick in a long time now, and Squawka Football calculated how many league goals from free-kicks he has scored in the last four seasons. The answer was shocking. He has taken 90 direct free-kicks since the 2017-18 season and has only scored one.
Fans have questioned why he is still taking free-kicks for United, and until he scores again, they’ll keep criticizing his record.
Cristiano Ronaldo has attempted 90 shots from direct free-kicks in the league since the start of the 2017/18 season.
He's scored one of them.
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) January 22, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Cristiano Ronaldo and his stats for Manchester United
However, the other stats do speak volumes about Ronaldo’s quality at 36. He has scored 8 goals in the Premier League in 18 matches, along with three assists.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Moreover, he has been in exemplary form in the UEFA Champions League, single-handedly taking United to the knockout stages with his six goals in five games. It’ll be interesting to see if he can take them all the way this season, as he is expected to.
Read More: WATCH: Manchester United Youngster Scores Winner, Proves Manager Right Against Cristiano Ronaldo
