I was at the Emirates Stadium to witness Manchester United's 3-1 destruction of Arsenal and a mesmeric display from Nani.
Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha, to give him his full name, was scintillating down the right, and his cross after a sensational piece of skill to bamboozle the hapless Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri, forced goalkeeper Manuel Almunia to push the ball into his own net, giving United the lead.
Nani's cross set up the second goal for the afternoon's other outstanding performer, Wayne Rooney.
For 90 minutes it looked like Nani's fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo, currently serving a suspension at Real Madrid, had been loaned back to United and sent out onto the Emirates pitch in disguise. For this was the sort of display that manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the United faithful were expecting when the club shelled out a hefty transfer fee to Sporting Lisbon in 2007.
But he has flattered to deceive, all flash and little substance. In November he gave a candid interview about Ferguson and appeared for the club just once in the following two months. Nani appeared to be the latest in a long line of players to be frozen out during Ferguson's tenure after daring to cross the Scot.
But he returned against Burnley on January 16, and dazzled in the 4-0 win over Hull City the following weekend.
Here is a player who never looked short on skill, but seemingly lacked the soccer brain to compliment his considerable talents. It is premature to wax lyrical after three good performances, but this could now be changing. The desire seems to have returned, he is committed to the club and even the great Ronaldo would have been proud of his end product on Sunday.
Photo © Getty Images
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