Roy Keane believed Cristiano Ronaldo looked “angry” as his hat-trick earned Manchester United a crucial win over Tottenham.
The Portuguese superstar returned to the side in spectacular fashion as he guided United to a 3-2 win over Spurs. Having been left out of the Manchester derby through injury, Ronaldo wasted no time in making his impact back in the side as he thundered the hosts into the lead early on in the first half.
Having seen Harry Kane bring Tottenham level from the penalty spot, the 37-year-old soon had the Reds back in front as he latched on to Jadon Sancho’s cross from the left. United were pegged back again though during the second half when Harry Maguire turned into his own net.
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Ronaldo wasn’t to be denied though, and a trademark thumping header completed his hat-trick and ensured United claimed a huge three points in their fight to finish fourth. They go back ahead of Arsenal ahead of the Gunners’ clash with Leicester on Sunday.
There was no denying though who the star was, with Ronaldo marking his return to the side in style as he broke the record to become the highest goal-scorer of all time. There has been plenty of talk around his place in the side, but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner sent a timely reminder of just what he can bring to United.
Following his absence from the Manchester derby, there was plenty of speculation as to why he had been missing at the Etihad. Former United captain Keane in particular felt Ronaldo looked as though he was proving a point on his return.
Reflecting on the game, Keane told Sky Sports: “That’s where United are at, the quality of both teams wasn’t great. But it was entertaining and Ronaldo stepped up to the plate.
“He looked angry today, a lot of aggression, he’s obviously been upset by something but he’s showed today what we’ve seen over the years. He’s brilliant, he’s a genius, the three goals were fantastic, five touches in total, he brings so much to this team.
“Why people think he can’t play every week or value… we’ve seen it today.
"He was angry today, he doesn’t come to Man United to sit on the pitch. Obviously, he’s not going to play every single game but not when it’s Man City away or Chelsea, they’re the games he’s come back to play.
"Today we saw him aggressive, angry, because he’s one of the best to play the game and he wants to put the ball in the back of the net, we saw that today. He wanted it more than anyone else when that ball came into the box that’s why the guy deserves huge credit. It was good to see him upset and angry."
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