A Scorpion Kick and a Side of Sass…

Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s 2016 epic scorpion kick against Sunderland was like a perfect recipe that delighted the fans at Old Trafford. The goal was such magic that even Jose Mourinho had to stop criticizing breakfast for a moment to say, “Phenomenal!” Despite high hopes, Mkhitaryan’s moments of magic at Manchester United were like finding an extra French fry in your order — rare but enjoyable.

United had struck gold (or so they thought) with their £26.3m signing from Borussia Dortmund, hoping Mkhitaryan’s Bundesliga brilliance would do wonders in the Premier League. But after an explosive pre-season, Mourinho left him on the bench, proving that warm-ups often don’t predict match-play. A muscle injury sidelined him further, but every so often, he showed a flash of brilliance that kept fans thinking, “What if?”

Mourinho, a master chef in the kitchen of football drama, had his own flair for criticism. Over breakfast one day, he famously ‘half-baked’ Mkhitaryan, blaming press woes on him. Nonetheless, Mkhitaryan left United in a deal for Alexis Sanchez, moving to Arsenal where his style was more like a soufflé — light, airy, and with a flair for the offensive. Now at Inter Milan, Mkhitaryan cooks up victories without looking back, proving his career was no half-baked affair.