Analysing Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s decisive performance for Manchester United against Southampton

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When the big occasions come around, it’s time for the big players to step up to the plate. Zlatan Ibrahimovic did exactly that on Sunday afternoon at Wembley, when he almost single-handedly secured the EFL Cup for Jose Mourinho and his side with a performance that will live long in the memory of Manchester United fans worldwide.

After a frustrating first quarter of the game, it became clear that Southampton would be no pushovers and United would have a tough task on their hands. Looking for a bit of magic to inspire them, nothing was quite coming off for the side in red, the Swede produced just what his teammates needed as he rifled home a free-kick from distance straight into the bottom corner past a helpless Fraser Forster in the Southampton goal.

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Up against Jack Stephens and Maya Yoshida in the Southampton defence, the former Paris Saint-Germain forward will have come up against tougher opposition in his illustrious career, but he fought tirelessly from the first minute to the last. Winning three aerial duels, he battled at one end, and with three clearances, he wasn’t afraid to get back and help out his defensive partners when the Saints applied the pressure.

His most important contribution though came in the 86th minute, when he found a yard of space in the heart of the Saints’ defence ready for Ander Herrera’s cross to be pounced upon for the 35-year-old to send a powerful header past Forster once again and into the back of the net to put one hand on the EFL Cup trophy with just three and a half minutes of normal time left on the clock.

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Jose Mourinho will certainly be feeling thankful for the presence of his talisman up front, particularly on a day when much of his team were lacklustre and relied on luck for Andre Marriner and his refereeing team to rule out Manolo Gabbiadini’s early strike for offside, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s display had nothing to do with luck.

Whilst Wayne Rooney watched on from the sidelines, the experienced striker made the difference on the pitch with two trademark finishes. Whilst his future beyond this season may remain unclear, with a second trophy under his belt after less than a season and having confounded his critics to score his 25th and 26th goals of the season, few will forget this performance from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

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