Marcus Rashford’s breakthrough delights, but the performance of a Uruguayan unknown should not go unnoticed. By Sam Frost

On a day where a Mancunian teenager announced himself to a Premier League audience, the performance of a raw, Uruguayan right-back caught the eye in Manchester United’s 3-2 victory over Arsenal.

Guillermo Varela, a £2m signing from Montevideo-based side Peñarol in 2013, hasn’t yet registered 10 appearances for United, yet his limited showings so far have indicated that Louis Van Gaal may have some player on his hands.

The 22-year-old has played most of his football in under-21 competition, featuring for both United and Real Madrid Castilla, Los Blancos’ ‘B team’, under the tutelage of Zinedine Zidane.

And up until December, other than a 30-word bulletin on a certain sports news outlet when he penned a five-year contract, Varela had barely registered on the radar, but United’s well-publicised full-back woes forced him into action.

In familiar fashion to Van Gaal’s other debutants, Varela was given a baptism of fire in his first start for the Red Devils, acquitting himself well in United’s 3-2 defeat to VfL Wolfsburg in the Champions League – a game that will incidentally serve as a defining moment in Van Gaal’s underachieving reign in Manchester, but will it also be remembered for the introduction of a future star?

Since then, the Uruguay youth international has deputised as injuries have proliferated amongst the United squad, impressing against weakened opposition in domestic and European cup competitions.

The toughest test so far came today, starting for a depleted United against title-challenging Arsenal.

In the first period, the diminutive Uruguayan linked well with Jesse Lingard and Ander Herrera, overlapping without hesitation. That was displayed in the makings of Marcus Rashford’s brilliant brace. Varela first linked with the Spaniard, catching Nacho Monreal between a rock and a Lingard place before whipping a wicked cross that Gabriel couldn’t negotiate, allowing Rashford to smash home.

The right-back’s adventure was hugely influential in the second, too, inventively and energetically recovering Juan Mata’s over-hit through ball on the byline, nodding back to Lingard who delivered for Rashford to glance into the far corner.

Indeed Varela’s best work is done on the front foot. There is a refreshing absence of fear in his play and his direct running today was a welcome source of relief in a second half where the Gunners were largely autonomous in control of possession and territory.

But the man originally signed by David Moyes is far from one-dimensional, he can defend too. Considering he was booked by referee Craig Pawson on eight minutes, the fact he largely nullified the threat of, arguably, the Premier League’s premier winger in Alexis Sanchez is impressive.

That’s typical of the man, his aggressive work in defence and a swashbuckling method of attack demonstrates a player not hindered by apprehension, and one that has a future at Old Trafford too.

He will have to contend with the injury-prone Matteo Darmian and a pair of transformed wingers in Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young when they return for a starting spot, but their inconsistency and inability to maintain fitness indicates that Varela will not be lacking in opportunity. The early signs show he’s capable of capitalising.