RASH WINS SHOOT-OUT WITH KANE
MARCUS RASHFORD won the battle of the England strikers and proved his manager right to rave about him.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Rashford has the potential to one day be mentioned in the same class as Harry Kane, England’s Golden Boot winner at the last World Cup.
Rashford has a long way to go to hit the heights Kane has on such a consistent basis.
But at this rate, Solskjaer might be right.
Again preferred to £75m striker Romelu Lukaku, the 21-year-old fired the winner with a burst of pace and classy finish.
And while Kane had chance after chance to score, he could not find a way past David De Gea, who formed a one-man wall for United.
Forced
Both men had been on fire going into the game.
Kane had scored in six consecutive games.
Rashford had been involved in nine goals in his last eight league games.
Many have wondered whether the two of them would become England’s first-choice strikeforce.
But it hasn’t happened yet, with Rashford often forced to play out wide for his country.
Here too Rashford started the game in a wide area, with Jesse Lingard occupying the traditional centre-forward position and his Three Lions team-mate to the right.
But at least he’s starting now. In fact, this was the first time he’d started nine league games in a row since he first broke into the team.
Rashford tested Hugo Lloris early on with a burst down the left but the Frenchman made a comfortable save with Lingard demanding a pass.
Kane thought he had scored when Dele Alli deflected a Kieran Trippier cross and he bundled it home, but the linesman’s flag rightly went up.
But it was Rashford who broke the deadlock.
As soon as he was set on his way by Paul Pogba, Jan Vertonghen was not catching him.
He still had Lloris to beat but you could see the confidence coursing through him as he smashed it in.
It was the first time Rashford had ever scored in three consecutive Premier League games – and it probably won’t be the last.
Sometimes people forget just how young he still is, and how far ahead of many other great strikers he is for his age.
Take Kane for example. At Rashford’s age he had actually played fewer top-flight games, scored fewer top-flight goals and had yet to win a single England cap.
So there should be plenty more to come from the United youngster.
Presented with a similar chance to Rashford’s at the start of the second half, Kane – who finished the game limping with an ankle injury – saw his shot saved by De Gea.
He had a diving header saved too as Spurs rallied and then missed a great chance when Trippier swung in a cross begging to be headed in.
While Kane’s influence grew, Rashford’s faded.
But by then he had done his job.