They do a good job of hiding it sometimes, but Sunday reminded us that Manchester United have some very, very good players. In particular, one stood out above the rest: Raphael Varane.

That shouldn’t actually surprise us. Varane is a World Cup and four-time Champions League winner; his name has regularly been put forward when talking about the elite class of centre-backs for some time, and although he’s a way off his peak nowadays, he remains an excellent player.

Erik ten Hag affirmed as much after the game, praising the Frenchman’s performance and the way he "led from the back," before insisting "we know what he is capable of." The praise was wholly justified, but it still sounded a little strange coming from a man who has done his best to hide Varane’s brilliance over the past few months.

Bear in mind: This was Varane’s first Premier League start since September. He’s been fit practically the entire time, missing just two matchday squads in that span and playing a healthy chunk of Champions League minutes too. Instead of fielding Varane, Ten Hag has tended to prefer a Harry Maguire-Jonny Evans partnership, meanwhile suggesting the Frenchman can’t play at left-centre-back.

Well, he did fine from left-centre-back on Sunday. More than fine, actually; he won 100% of his aerial duels, completed a whopping 15 clearances - the second-most in a single Premier League game this season - and clipped some excellent passes forward into Antony and Co.

Just as notable as his sky-high clearance rate was the fact he made zero tackles; he didn’t attempt a single one. That’s classic Varane, who along with Virgil van Dijk, has set the standard for the art of passive defending over the last decade. He never dives into tackles, always backs off and forces indecision from the attack, then comes alive when it’s time to block or intercept.

He totalled three interceptions and two blocked shots. One of the interceptions was a vital one, jutting a leg out to prevent a through-ball hitting its mark to create a huge chance. As the midfield collapsed in front of him, Sofyan Amrabat visibly struggling to keep a lid on things, Varane looked as calm and composed as ever.

It was the sort of performance that should serve as a marker going forward. Ten Hag may have his compatibility questions over Varane and Maguire as a pair, but the reality is Varane is by far Manchester United’s best available centre-back. The Frenchman may not pass perfectly from the left side, irritating his manager somewhat, but he doesn’t pass perfectly from the right either - inventive passing out from the back has never, ever been one of his noted skills, going back all the way through his Real Madrid career too.

This is Varane: Expert reader of the game, a nice blend of quick and strong, passive defensive style, limited passer. Varane has never changed. Varane will never change. He’s just delivered one of his best performances in a Manchester United shirt, against one of the very best teams in the league.

The amazing thing is, the person who might have learned the most from it… was his manager.