Garnacho matches Ronaldo’s record with assist for debutant Zirkzee

• Manchester United sealed a crucial opening day victory in the English Premier League against Fulham
• Alejandro Garnacho provided a late assist for Joshua Zirkzee to clinch the three points on the night
• The Argentine forward equalled a Cristiano Ronaldo record with his assist for the Dutch forward

Manchester United kicked off their 2024/25 Premier League season with a crucial home win against Fulham.

The hard-fought victory, which was Erik ten Hag’s side's first over the Cottagers following their defeat in the reverse fixture, required a late strike from Joshua Zirkzee, who latched onto a pass from Alejandro Garnacho to seal the win.

Alejandro Garnacho during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Fulham FC at Old Trafford on August 16, 2024. Image: Robbie Jay Barratt.
Source: Getty Images

The goal from the second-half substitute lifts Man United to the summit of the Premier League. However, it didn't come without a touch of history.

According to data from TNT Sports, Garnacho, who provided the assist, equalled a record previously held by Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.

Garnacho equals Garnacho record

According to the data provided, no teenager in Manchester United's history has contributed to more Premier League goals than Garnacho.

With his 17th assist since debuting in 2022, Garnacho has equalled the record for the most Premier League goal involvements by any teenager in the club’s history.

The 19-year-old now shares this honour with the Portuguese talisman, who first made his mark with the Red Devils in 2003.

Garnacho, who seems set for a standout season with United, recently celebrated winning the Copa América with Argentina and played a significant role in United's heartbreaking loss to City in the Community Shield final.

But Garnacho wasn't the only United player making history that night. According to Opta Joe, Joshua Zirkzee became the 15th Dutch player to score on his Premier League debut and the fourth to do so while at Manchester United, following in the footsteps of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alexander Büttner, and Donny van de Beek.

Ten Hag blasted for pre-season loss

Legit.ng in an earlier report detailed that Manchester United's 2024/25 season began on a disappointing note with a defeat to Rosenborg, and the club’s fans have criticised manager Erik ten Hag for the loss.

The Dutch manager, who featured five first-team regulars from last season, was defeated by a last-minute goal from Noah Holm.

Source: Legit.ng