"Very important for us" - Erik ten Hag heaps praise on Manchester United star after win over Newcastle United

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag praised defensive midfielder Sofyan Amrabat's performance in their recent clash against Newcastle United in the Premier League on May 15 at Old Trafford. The match ended in a 3-2 win for the home side.

The Red Devils opened the scoring in the 31st minute with Kobbie Mainoo's goal from an assist by Amad Diallo. Just four minutes after the goal, Amrabat committed a foul on the Magpies' forward Anthony Gordon and was in danger of giving a penalty to the visitors.

Despite the slip-up, Erik ten Hag seemed impressed with Sofyan Amrabat, and in his post-match press conference, the Dutch manager said (via Metro):

"I think he played a very good game. Very important for us in the pressing and the counter-press."

"He’s doing a really good job keeping the team together, keeping the team compact and we had good moments to press, to control the game."

Anthony Gordon netted the equalizer just four minutes into the second half while Amad Diallo doubled Manchester United's score in the 57th minute. Rasmus Højlund scored the third goal from an assist by captain Bruno Fernandes in the 84th minute. Newcastle United's Lewis Hall managed to net their second goal in 90+2 minutes.

Sofyan Amrabat, who arrived at Old Trafford in 2023 on loan from ACF Fiorentina, opened up about his difficulties this season and said:

"This is still not Sofyan Amrabat on the top, how I can play… It’s my second 90 minutes in four or five months, so I’m not 100% as normal, I think."

The 27-year-old midfielder added:

"It was not easy but I had to be patient. But I was always ready for the team when they need me, one minute or ten minutes. The only thing you can do is to work hard and wait for the chance to come."

Following the win against Newcastle United, Manchester United are eighth on the Premier League table with 57 points. They have one league fixture left against Brighton & Hove Albion on the final day of the season (May 19) at Falmer Stadium.

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Erik ten Hag sends message to Manchester United fans ahead of FA Cup final

Manchester United qualified for the FA Cup final after beating Coventry City 4-2 on penalties while Manchester City bagged a 1-0 win over Chelsea. The cross-town rivals are set to clash at Wembley Stadium in London next Saturday, May 25. The FA Cup is the Red Devils' only chance at bagging some silverware for the season.

Erik ten Hag has claimed that his players will give their best to defeat the Cityzens.

"I promise the players will give everything to bring the cup back to Old Trafford," the Dutch manager said, via Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News.

The last time Manchester United won the FA Cup was in the 2015-16 season when they beat Crystal Palace (2-1 after extra time).