Following a shaky start to the season, Erik ten Hag has praised Antony’s recent performances, stating that the Manchester United winger has “stepped up.”

Since his £85 million transfer from Ajax to Manchester United in the summer of 2022, the Brazil international has struggled in his second season at Old Trafford, failing to record a single goal or assist.

Earlier in the season, the winger was granted a leave of absence due to allegations of assault in Brazil.

Since his return, he has labored for consistency and has been subject to widespread criticism from former United players. However, in last week’s 3-3 draw with Galatasaray, he displayed a marked improvement.

Wednesday against Chelsea, he was named to the starting lineup alongside Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho, while Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial were substituted.

At Old Trafford, United secured a 2-1 victory in which Scott McTominay scored twice. Ten Hag was particularly enthused by Antony’s contribution and lauded him specifically.

‘I agree, I think he’s progressing,’ ten Hag said in his post-match press conference. ‘This is the attitude and what he needs.

‘It’s what he has to contribute to the team. He was very bright, he got very good positions on the ball, he also make very good decisions, he is stepping up and he has to build on this.’

Ten Hag was significantly bolstered by the club’s victory over Chelsea during a challenging week.

The Dutchman refuted rumors of a crisis at Old Trafford, insisting that Wednesday’s victory represented a significant step forward.

‘Crisis? Not for us,’ ten Hag said. ‘We keep calm, we look at the process, we know where we have to build and build on, so we go in right direction don’t get distracted by criticism from around us.

‘We are critical on ourselves, we are not quick to be satisfied, always want to do better.

‘We want to keep going in this process, with progress. The season is long, we have to improve a lot if we want to be successful, this team is capable of being successful.’