Man Utd star Antony "behaved like an idiot" to destroy Liverpool transfer hopes
For Liverpool, their season hangs on finishing in the top four of the Premier League.
Jurgen Klopp's side are 5-2 down to Real Madrid in their last-16 Champions League tie and seem destined to exit the tournament after the second leg later this month. It has been a tough campaign for Liverpool, but a top-four spot would offer some consolation.
Achieving that will be difficult, though, as the Reds sit sixth in the Premier League table, six points behind Tottenham in fourth with a game in hand. They need to start picking up wins quickly, but their next opponents - bitter rivals Manchester United - will be keen to thwart them on Sunday. After all, Antony knows a thing or two about doing that.
Antony is hoping to dazzle against Liverpool on Sunday (Daniel Chesterton/Offside via Getty Images)The Brazil international, 23, has divided opinion since his £85million transfer from Ajax last summer. He has scored some big goals for Erik ten Hag's side - most notably the winner against Barcelona in the Europa League - but consistency has been an issue.
Antony has scored just six goals in 26 appearances for United. His showboating has also angered fans and pundits, with Red Devils icon Paul Scholes calling him a "clown" after a trick went wrong in a Europa League tie last November.
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Despite this, Antony remains one of the most admired youngsters in Europe. It is believed a number of clubs were interested in signing him last summer, but his preference was to join his former Ajax manager Ten Hag at Old Trafford to continue his development.
Antony was criticised after being sent off for Ajax 12 months ago (Getty Images)Do you think Antony will score against Liverpool on Sunday? Let us know in the comments below!
Liverpool's alleged interest in Antony emerged after he was sent off against Feyenoord last March. The Brazilian scored a late winner and took his shirt off, which earned him a yellow card. He then picked up another booking in the dying seconds of the game.
Antony's actions left pundit Rene van der Gijp bemused. He told Vadaag Inside, "Suppose we are in the stands together as a scout for Manchester City or Liverpool... and we are looking at Antony, what do you think we would say when we come back on Monday?
"We will not take that. You don’t see a Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane or Mohamed Salah doing this. Then you can say, 'He is young'. But it can also get crazier."
Fellow ex-professional Wim Kieft added, "He is not that young anymore, because he has been doing this for two years. Such a boy cannot be calmed by a coach, in the end.
"Ten Hag will of course never say that Antony behaves like an idiot, but he thinks so. In general, this behaviour is addressed in the locker room. Then someone says, 'Hey, what are you doing?'"
Antony will frustrate Ten Hag at times - there is no doubt about that. But when he is at his best, he is a genuine match-winner. Liverpool will remain in the top-four race regardless of Sunday's result, yet a humbling display from the Brazilian is not what Klopp needs right now. The Liverpool boss must ensure Antony's box of tricks stays closed.
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