Can Zlatan Ibrahimovic Be Stopped?

There is no stopping Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Just when you think that age is finally wearying him or that he’s becoming bogged down by a defence as modest as Sunderland’s, he makes a turn, creates some space and then unleashes something unstoppable into the back of the net. This was the story of his 28th strike, a phenomenal return given his advancing years. It opened the door to a morale-boosting victory for Manchester United, something they might not have achieved with him easing the nerves. He is remarkable.

There’s not much that can stop Romelu Lukaku, either. His brace in Sunday’s 4-2 win vs. Leicester City brought his season tally to 23 in the league alone, one more than Middlesbrough have managed together, as Opta so helpfully pointed out. More importantly, it has restored a little stability to Everton as they continue their push for European football. A place in the Europa League is unlikely to change Lukaku’s mind about moving on in the summer, but at least there’s no sense that he’s downed tools. He continues to be as potent as ever.