Antony opens up on "very important moment" amid struggles

Antony has said that his goal in Manchester United's 4-3 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon was "a very important moment" for him, as the forward looks to prove his worth to the club.

The 24-year-old was introduced in the 71st minute of the quarter-final and came up with an 87th-minute goal to level the scores at 2-2, which forced extra time at Old Trafford.

Antony has faced heavy criticism for his struggles this season, having only managed one goal and one assist in 29 appearances ahead of Sunday's FA Cup clash.

There have been suggestions that Man United will look to sell him this summer, with the forward only managing 10 goals and four assists in 74 appearances for the club since his arrival from Ajax.

Antony has also had off-the-field issues, and he is still being investigated by both the Greater Manchester Police and Sao Paulo Civil Police following accusations from his ex-girlfriend.

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Gabriela Cavallin is claiming that the Brazil international assaulted her on multiple occasions during their relationship, with the alleged incidents said to have happened in both Brazil and England.

Antony, who has not been arrested or charged, has always denied any form of physical violence and continues to work with the police in an attempt to clear his name.

The forward has opened up on the importance of the goal against Liverpool from a personal point of view, as he bids to use the moment as a potential turning point in his Man United career.

"It was a very important goal, it gave us the chance to go to extra-time and try to win," Antony told reporters after the clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford.

"Personally, it was a very important moment for me, I needed that goal. At no point did I stop thinking about it and working.

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"It's games like this that show our values and I believe this will motivate everyone for the season. It was a game that we had to help in every way and I managed to score the equaliser.

"I have also been training my right leg, to make it better and I have done my best to help in the defence, acting as a winger. It was a time for everyone to donate, whatever their position. We came together there and achieved an incredible turnaround.

"It has been a period of a lot of learning. I try to learn from each criticism, understand where I can improve. I have been working silently to evolve and show my football on the field. I know my potential and I know why Manchester United hired me. I want to repay all of this on the field.

"My teammates are giving me a lot of confidence, my family too. This is important and gives me a lot of confidence. In the opportunity the coach gave me, I managed to be decisive and help. I'm grateful to Manchester United, it was my lifelong dream to be here."

Antony moved to Man United from Dutch giants Ajax in the summer of 2022, with the 20-time English champions paying in the region of £86m to bring the forward to the club.