Zlatan Ibrahimovic compared himself to Benjamin Button after the striker once again belied his advancing years as Manchester United won at Sunderland.
Jose Mourinho's side extended their unbeaten Premier League run to 21 matches, and most importantly bolstered their top-four hopes, with a comfortable 3-0 win at the Stadium of Light.
Ibrahimovic opened the scoring with a ferocious strike and, having seen Sunderland's Seb Larsson sent off and Henrikh Mkhitaryan add a second, he provided the assist for Marcus Rashford to wrap up victory.
The striker said: “Today was a good win and we have to keep working, keep believing we can reach the top four. We will do everything to get to the top four.
“The game was good and we get 1-0 and they get the red card. Afterwards we play with one more, sometimes it can be more difficult and sometimes it can be an advantage.”
Ibrahimovic took his goals tally to 28 for the season as the veteran continues to make a mockery of those that doubted whether he could cut it at United aged 35.
The striker has shown few signs of slowing up and likened himself to Brad Pitt’s title character from the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, who ages in reverse.
“I train hard, I keep focusing, I believe in what I do,” Ibrahimovic told Sky Sports.
“It seems like the older I get, the more intelligent I get. You don’t waste so much energy.
“I feel like Benjamin Button — I was born old and I will die young.”
Ibrahimovic’s comments were put to manager Mourinho in the post-match press conference.
“He was very good,” the United manager said.
“Physically he showed, of course, amazing conditions and Thursday (against Anderlecht in the Europa League) he will be there again.
“So I agree that by the physical point of view the guy is showing all season no problems.
“The only moment where he stopped was because of a three-match ban. Apart from that, he is playing all the time and looking very fit.”
