ALL the talk before this game was about Marcus Rashford.
By the end, the delirious Manchester United fans thought nothing more about their former hero.
They had done very well without him, thank you, a point that new Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim made quite forcefully afterwards.
Rashford's ability meant he should have been here; he should have been the center of attention, he should have been followed by the spotlight.
But the striker's signing means the spotlight will fade very quickly and he will have to be very careful if he wants to have a United career after the new year.
This was a big statement from Amorim to leave Rashford, 27, and 20-year-old Alejandro Garnacho out of the squad altogether.
On the morning of the match they were tasked with training with Jonny Evans and Toby Collyer, while the rest of the squad prepared for the trip to the Etihad.
Amorim was simply not happy with the pair, both in training, in matches and, it seems, off the field.
Rashford's fall from grace was dramatic.
To be a shining example to all children who dream of becoming a football star for the club they grew up watching.
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Withington's journey to Buckingham Palace and an MBE in recognition of his fantastic work in ensuring that this country's poor and hungry children are cared for should never be forgotten.
Two seasons ago, Rashford also recorded the best figures of his career on the field: thirty goals per season.
The world was at his feet then. . . and then it all seemed to be too much.
The attention, the celebrity, the fame, the wealth, the nightlife – all those temptations that come with being a modern Premier League star were there and he welcomed them.
Suddenly a shy boy who stayed under the radar off the field with his childhood sweetheart Lucia Loi was enjoying the trappings.
That relationship with Loi has also been a victim of all this.
Amorim could easily have used the excuse of rotation, fatigue, an adjustment or whatever for his and Garnacho's absence – but he had no intention of doing so. He wanted people to know why they were gone. Not good enough.
Rashford's form started to dip last season as he went from that remarkable 30-goal season in 2022/2023 to just eight times.
Not only did he lose his place in United's first team, but also in the England squad for next summer's European Championship in Germany.
Former Old Trafford boss Erik ten Hag had protected him. The Dutchman warned him and he was still let down on – and especially off – the pitch.
Firstly, when Rashford celebrated in the city center after United's 3-0 home derby defeat to Pep Guardiola's men last October.
Ten Hag called that “unacceptable”.
It was his birthday and it was a low-key family affair, his PR guru tried to trot out. It was anything but.
Rashford was then partying until the early hours of Friday, January 26 in Belfast, when he was scheduled to train later that day ahead of a Sunday trip to Newport in the FA Cup.
He got a private jet back, but called in sick.
When former Ajax boss Ten Hag found out why, he was more than angry.
The manager later confided that he wanted to freeze him in United's reserves but he simply didn't have enough players.
The couple hardly talked anymore.
It takes a lot for Red Devils supporters to turn on one of their own, but that is what happened to Rashford.
The fans see a lack of effort, slumped shoulders and an inexcusable lack of effort on the pitch.
His United teammates see it too, and there have been verbal altercations on the pitch.
The arrival of Amorim from Sporting Lisbon last month offered new hope.
So what on earth was he doing the weekend before the new boss arrived at an NBA game in New York, wearing a Louis Vuitton jacket and flashy grillz on his teeth?
Perhaps this was what Amorim was referring to when he said it was “important how people dressed.”
There were so many withdrawals from the England squad at the time that anyone in a replica shirt had a chance of a call-up, but Rashford didn't get one.
That's how far he's fallen down the ladder at the Three Lions.
He scored in the first two minutes of Amorim's first match against Ipswich.
And a few more followed in the 4-0 win over Everton.
But he started on the bench for the defeats at Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.
He was then subbed off after 56 minutes at Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League. Amorim has seen enough.
The Portuguese says the player will get another chance – it will be his last.
And one day Rashford will really regret it. . .
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