Cristiano Ronaldo announced his return to Manchester United by stealing the show with two goals in a 4-1 win over Newcastle which took Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side top of the table.
Twelve years and 124 days after his last Premier League goal, against Manchester City in May 2009, the Portugal international was back on the scoresheet in first-half added time.
Only Matt Jansen (13 years and 187 days between 1993 and 2006) has gone longer between goals in the competition.
It was one of the easiest goals Ronaldo could ever want to score and owed as much to his experience as it did to Freddie Woodman’s mishandling.
The Newcastle goalkeeper fumbled Mason Greenwood’s deflected shot and Ronaldo, gambling on an error, was rewarded with a simple tap-in.
Javier Manquillo looked to have spoiled the party with only the second goal of his career – and first for more than four years – from a counter-attack but within six minutes Ronaldo had reclaimed the headlines, although questions were again asked of Woodman with the shot going between his legs.
Bruno Fernandes made it a Portuguese treble for United by firing home from 25 yards before Jesse Lingard’s excellent finish in added time.