Alejandro Garnacho was formed in football at Manchester United, which he joined in 2020 at just 16 years old from Atletico de Madrid to integrate into the Academy of the Red Devils.

He was one of the standout figures of the team that conquered the FA Youth Cup in 2022, and his rise to the first team was meteoric under the management of Erik ten Hag. In that period, he scored the Premier League Goal of the Season against Everton in 2023 and also scored in United's victory in the 2024 FA Cup final against Manchester City.

However, the relationship began to deteriorate after the departure of Ten Hag and the arrival of Ruben Amorim to the bench. The Argentine was sanctioned after going straight down the tunnel following his substitution in a match, and the tension reached its peak when he was relegated to the bench for the Europa League final against Tottenham.

The situation worsened when Garnacho's brother publicly criticized Amorim on social media, while the coach justified his decision by pointing out the missed chances by the attacker in the semifinal against Athletic Club. Subsequently, Garnacho himself questioned the coach in a post-match interview, which led to a strong reprimand from Amorim, who allegedly told him in front of the squad that he had "better pray" to find another club.

The winger was later included in Amorim's so-called "bomb squad," alongside four other footballers—among them Marcus Rashford—who were separated from first-team training during the summer while seeking an exit. Garnacho further enraged the United fanbase by appearing in an Aston Villa shirt with Rashford's name on it, before firing a new barb at the club that formed him.

Garnacho stated on Chelsea's official program, ahead of the second leg match at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal: "Everyone knows how complicated it is to play there. When we lost the first match, I heard many people say: 'Yes, but no one has won at the Emirates yet.' However, now the perspective is different. Yes, for example, Manchester United managed to beat them there; we can do it too."

United became the first team to defeat Arsenal at the Emirates in all competitions this season, following a dramatic 3-2 victory, decided by Matheus Cunha, in Michael Carrick's second match in charge of the team.

Garnacho scored two goals in Chelsea's defeat to Arsenal in the first leg at Stamford Bridge, scoring in the final minutes to reduce the deficit to a single goal and keep the Blues' hopes alive of turning the tie around and reaching their first Carabao Cup final since 2022. He is Chelsea's top scorer in the competition, with four goals, although in the Premier League, he has only scored once since his €55M transfer from Manchester United.

The Argentine was one of three players substituted at halftime by Liam Rosenior on Saturday, when Chelsea went into the break 2-0 down against West Ham. However, the team staged a surprising reaction in the second half to win 3-2.

Roundtablesports is Free to join! You can post your own thoughts, comment on articles, and start conversations with our Roundtable Writers. Scroll up to the top of the page and click 'Join'.

Download the FREE Roundtable APP, and get even easier access to your favourite teams and news!