After Red Bull Leipzig teenager Matheus Chuna’s incredible individual goal on Saturday – and Eden Hazard’s stunning solo effort against West Ham on Monday - it has been a week of incredible goals.
And former Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa added to the excitement on Sunday with a stunning solo effort for Rennes, rolling back the years to his time on Tyneside.
Rennes faced fellow mid-table outfit Angers and with the game locked in a stalemate at 33 minutes the former Newcastle man sparked into action.
Picking up the ball in his own half, Ben Arfa showcased the skills that United fans had became accustomed to with sudden stepovers and nifty turns.
Initially, he had seemingly run into trouble as Angers midfielders surrounded him, but as ever, the ex-France maverick wriggled his way out of danger and burst into the opposition half.
Ben Arfa evaded challenge after challenge and approached the area and then with a sharp turn, he laid it off to teammate M’Baye Niang before converting the return pass with aplomb.
The goal drew similarities with his sensational solo effort for United against Bolton back in 2012 – an unforgettable effort that will live long in the memory of Toon fans.
What’s more, it just so happens that today marks seven years since that wonder goal at St James’ Park – and Newcastle fans are feeling nostalgic.
Watch Ben Arfa's wonder goal here
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The club marked the day by tweeting a video of the goal, which was met with appreciation from all quarters of twitter’s footballing fandom, particularly Newcastle fans who have never quite forgotten Ben Arfa’s brilliance.
The clip, in which Ben Arfa beats five players before placing it calmly into the net is the sort of magic Newcastle have been missing in recent campaigns.
United have struggled to find a replacement for Ben Arfa since his exit back in 2015, and with current tricky loanee Kennedy failing to live up to expectations, their search looks set to continue.
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