Marcus Rashford overcomes uncertainty to find key turning point and fire Manchester United past Chelsea

A brace at Stamford Bridge put United into the last eight

If you wanted to get as self-indulgent as Marcus Rashford’s style of free-kick, you could almost say the trajectory of the ball fits the trajectory of his season: a bit wayward, up and down, hard to predict… but ending with success and hopefully emotional release.

Not to mention, of course, a lot of excitement.

It was that spectacular a goal, and Rashford can still be that spectacular a player. It was why, even if the Carabao Cup remains the least important trophy and this was still against an under-strength Chelsea, this felt an important night for the newly-turned 22-year-old.

It of course wasn’t a coming of age, but represented a proper return to form. It brought his third and fourth goals in four games, meaning he has scored in three of them, with this similarly the first properly match-winning display in some time.

Rashford stood up, in more ways than one.

You only have to consider what was going through his mind for that penalty.

Again, it didn’t really matter in the wider context of the game, but did matter in the context of his season.

Rashford had missed two penalties before this, and those two goals in his previous three games were still also only two goals in his previous eight United games.

Another miss could have represented a mental setback, and greatly stunted that resurgence. This would all have been at the back of his mind as he was considering which way to send the penalty.

Rashford buries his spot-kick (AP)

A lingering lack of certainty in his play could already be seen before then when he set off on a United break, only to try and take on his man rather than play in Dan James, and then lose possession. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer visibly berated him. This was the opposite of the type of intense directness he wants to instil in his players, that he knows Rashford is capable of.

That certainty, however, came from the penalty.

Rashford made the right decision, and visibly made everything so much clearer.

He might have made that penalty look easy in the process, but the relief – and mental effect – can’t be under-appreciated.

United celebrate the win over Chelsea (AFP via Getty Images)

This is why, in a low-key way – and a low-profile game – it might represent a turning point in the season.

Thereafter we saw a player performing with confidence. That was the difference. That is the cumulative effect of all these big moments. That’s how you build form, and confidence.

This was what the free-kick displayed.

It was someone with the belief to both try it and fully apply it. He felt it would come off. Solskjaer said afterwards, ”Marcus has that strike in him, I’ve seen him in training so many times”, but that’s also the point.

We haven’t seen it in games. We did tonight. We saw Rashford back on form.

He wasn’t the only influential performer for United. Scott McTominay was again excellent in setting a tempo and a standard of effort, Brandon Williams again suggested he is deserving of a Premier League start.

But the most notable element was Rashford’s finishing.

Like his free-kick, it’s been up and down this year. It might yet end with celebration.