Antony Declares 'Best Season' After Matching Kylian Mbappe Record in La Liga
Antony’s resurgence in Spanish football showed no signs of slowing down after the Real Betis winger reached another impressive milestone in La Liga. The Brazilian scored in Betis’ 2-2 draw against Real Sociedad, drawing level with Kylian Mbappe for one of the league’s standout attacking statistics this season.
Antony continued his Real Betis resurgence by equaling Kylian Mbappe’s La Liga outside-the-box goal tally.
The former Manchester United winger has become increasingly dangerous from long range since moving to Spain. His strike at Anoeta was his fifth goal from outside the box in La Liga this season, putting him alongside Mbappe at the top of that category.
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The achievement reflects the growing confidence Antony has displayed under Manuel Pellegrini after struggling to consistently impress in the Premier League. His influence in the Betis attack has continued to grow as the season progresses.
Speaking after the match, Antony highlighted the hard work behind his improved performances and praised both his teammates and coaching staff for their support.
"Very happy. That is from a lot of work, as you have said, I have a lot of pride in what I have been doing. I owe much of that to my teammates too, and to the coach who has given me a lot of confidence. We keep moving forward," Antony told DAZN.
Antony’s move away from Old Trafford appears to have reignited his career after a difficult spell in England following his transfer from Ajax. Instead of struggling for consistency, the Brazilian has become a central figure in Betis’ attacking setup.
The winger admitted that this season has been the strongest of his career, even though he has continued playing through injury discomfort for much of the campaign.
"First, happy for the season I am having. It is the best season. I feel very happy, proud," he said.
"I know the sacrifices with which I have been playing. More than 20 games with discomfort, I always say that when I put on this shirt I sacrifice myself. I celebrated with Ruben (Cousillas) because it is his birthday. We have to focus now on Tuesday's game at home to get the three points."
Although Antony impressed again individually, Betis were left frustrated after allowing Sociedad to recover from a two-goal deficit. The result means the Verdiblancos remain only four points clear of Celta Vigo in the race for European qualification.
Antony openly admitted that he should have converted further opportunities during the first half and acknowledged the disappointment within the squad after failing to secure all three points.
"I speak for myself. I had two opportunities in the first half that I had to score, because of the importance of this match the draw is not so bad, although it would be better to win. We have to turn the page. Today we leave a bit frustrated, sad, on Tuesday we have another very important game with our people. We are going to fight to win the match," he said.
Real Betis still control their hopes of achieving a fifth-place finish in La Liga with only three fixtures remaining. Two of those matches will take place at the Benito Villamarin, beginning with their upcoming clash against Elche.
Antony urged the team to move on quickly from the disappointment at Anoeta and insisted full focus must now shift toward securing positive results in the closing weeks of the season.
"I think before the first goal from Real Sociedad there was already pressure from them. We have to turn the page. We leave very sad, frustrated, but on Tuesday we have a very important match with our people. We have to win. We are four points ahead of Celta. We have three games, two at home. We have to mentally prepare for these games and play well on Tuesday," Antony concluded.
