14 January 2023 , 17:30
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Marcus Rashford emphatically delivered in the Manchester Derby after Manchester United legend Paul Scholes had compared him to Cristiano Ronaldo.
The red-hot striker once again scored the game-winning goal for United, who ran out 2-1 winners against bitter rivals Manchester City on Saturday. Rashford's eighth strike in seven games since returning from the World Cup has the Red Devils looking at an unlikely title charge, and club legend Scholes is backing the 25-year-old to kick on and replicate fellow United icon Ronaldo.
"His numbers are fantastic," Scholes began on BT Sport pre-match. "His physique as well, he almost looks bigger and stronger, he looks more powerful, almost in the Cristiano mould, doing stuff like this [his winning goal against Wolves ], he's almost took that mantle of Cristiano Ronaldo, being that match winner.
"Now look, he's done it for a short period of time, so it's about can he go on. The new manager has helped him, he's got a bit more discipline about him - we saw what happened at Wolves a couple weeks ago [sleeping in for a team meeting], he can't do stuff like that, he has got to be on his game.
"He's going out every game thinking he can score a goal and they way he's going, everyone expects him to score a goal. He has become a match winner - not Cristiano-like, it's too early to say that - but I think there's potential to be that.
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Rio Fernandes, Scholes' ex-Old Trafford teammate, agreed and added: "He looks like a different beast, he looks like he's growing into his frame and turning into a man. I've watched him in a few games recently and he looks like the oldest kid in the playground at times - that's a testament to being fully fit and also the work going on behind the scenes with him.
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Marcus Rashford has now scored eight goals in his last seven games (Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)"He's got a manager that looks to have a good, strong belief in him. I see him playing, becoming more clinical, and his mindset is one of the big things. He looks more aggressive, more on it and like 'I am the man. No one else is taking that spotlight, I am that guy now'.
"I think the key point is that he's done this over eight to ten games, we want to see this over a season and beyond that, but the vein of form he's in right now, he's up there with the best of them."
Rashford himself was only focussed on the three points when speaking after his side's epic comeback win, saying: "Scoring a goal and winning the game, that's always the aim. This game is a little special. It's a change of dynamics.
"I've said many times but options off the bench even when we've had injures, players out of position, everyone is putting a shift in. Anything is possible. We're very pleased to come back and win."