Cristiano Ronaldo has been nominated for the new Castrol Game Changer award, which will be given to the player who has had the greatest game-changing performance in the Premier League during the 2021-22 season.
People openly questioned whether Cristiano Ronaldo was Manchester United's biggest problem this season, and whether the club had jeopardized otherwise promising progress by bringing in a purported 'has been'.
When you consider the amount and type of goals the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored in his first season back at the club where he originally established himself as a world-class player more than a decade ago, that argument immediately comes apart.
Throughout the 2012/13 season, United has struggled to win games in which Ronaldo has not scored. In the Champions League group stage, his goals were directly responsible for 10 of the team's 11 points, and at one time in March and April, he had scored eight of the team's nine goals.
The Game Changer performance against Tottenham was the start of that streak.
United came into the match fresh off an ugly and hefty loss to Manchester City, and they were eager for a win before the March international break.
Ronaldo missed the derby defeat due to a nagging hip ailment, but he was back to face Spurs.
The 37-year-performance old's was characterized by efficiency. Over the last two decades, it's been easy to take his ability for granted, but with age comes adaptation.
Although Ronaldo traveled less ground than Tottenham's Harry Kane, he was far more effective. Despite having an overall xG of 0.91 for the game, he walked away with the match ball under his arm, only his second Premier League hat-trick at the time.
When Spurs made the mistake of giving Ronaldo time and space, he scored after only 12 minutes with a rasping effort into the top corner from 25 yards out.
Ronaldo kept driving his team back in front while United's defensive shortcomings allowed them to lose the lead at the opposite end. His second goal demonstrated excellent awareness, as he raced through the middle when the ball was played wide down the line, ensuring he was in position for an easy tap-in as the ball made its way into the six-yard box.
Ronaldo's third goal, after two very different types of goals, was a towering header from a corner that any old fashioned 'number nine' from decades ago would be proud of. United had surrendered their advantage yet again, only for the Portuguese to seize control of the game.
Ronaldo took Cristian Romero's back and surged ahead of him, giving Matt Doherty little chance to react in time to challenge him. The United star's strength also guaranteed that Doherty's clumsy attempt to knock him off balance failed miserably.
Ronaldo was focused on his goal, and once he rose to meet the ball, there was no way it could finish up anywhere other than in the net. Furthermore, as the game neared its conclusion, the late hat-trick goal eventually destroyed Spurs' resolve, and United gratefully clung on for a 3-2 victory.
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