David de Gea is back on “top form”, says Dimitar Berbatov, with the Manchester United goalkeeper offering the best possible response to the “ridiculous” criticism that saw some write him off.
The Spaniard will be the first to admit that his standards slipped slightly in 2019-20, with unfortunate errors creeping back into his game.
De Gea is, however, a four-time Player of the Year at Old Trafford and has been a model of consistency throughout much of his time in England.
His undoubted ability was expected to shine through again eventually, with the 29-year-old proving that form is temporary while class is permanent.
Berbatov is among those delighting in De Gea’s renaissance, which has come since Dean Henderson was welcomed back to Manchester to provide greater competition for places.
Another impressive showing was put in during a notable 2-1 Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain, with United seeing patience rewarded when others would have made snap decisions.
“David de Gea was in top form, which I was very happy to see, and it's good to see the team play like this,” Berbatov told Betfair on the back of a morale-boosting victory at Parc des Princes.
“I was honestly delighted for David, he made some amazing saves, and he played well at Newcastle at the weekend too.
“He's answering his critics the right way, on the pitch instead of with words, and hopefully this is a sign he has put his troubles behind him now.
“To try and deny that he is a great goalkeeper is ridiculous, mistakes don't make him a bad player overnight.”
Berbatov added on the Red Devils as a collective, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side still searching for consistency: “United have responded to their Spurs thrashing in the best way possible, and everyone involved should be proud.
“It's all about the next game now, and the players and coaches will know this.
“I think it is also the first time United have won 10 away games in a row, which is very impressive.
“United have the players, they have just lacked consistency, but they should be able to be consistent.”
The Red Devils will get another opportunity to put down a marker to their Premier League rivals on Saturday when they play host to big-spending Chelsea.