Manchester United did not set pulses racing as they defeated Watford in the FA Cup, but they did at least get the job done.
An early goal from stand-in captain Scott McTominay ultimately proved enough to earn Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men a 1-0 win at Old Trafford and a place in the fourth round.
The cup contest gave Donny van de Beek - whose usage has been subject to huge debate this season after he joined from Ajax - a rare chance to shine from the start.
Let's take a look at how he fared.
Manchester United 1-0 Watford: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
📷 Donny van de Beek: Match Snapshot
A ⏱️ 43’ Having been involved with a nice touch earlier in the move, Van de Beek produced a brilliant flick to set up a chance for Juan Mata, who was denied by goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann to prevent the Netherlands international from earning an assist.
Van de Beek played in a holding midfield role alongside McTominay (8.0). While he would prefer to be playing further up the pitch, it is a position he has said he is happy to play in.
The 23-year-old performed well, even when doing the dirty work. He had a game-high 11 recoveries and won two of his three tackles as well as five of his nine duels.
Van de Beek impressed with his passing, completing a superb 95% - the best rate of any starter for either side - of the 74 he attempted
〽️ Van de Beek: Rating Week-on-Week
✔️ IMPROVEMENT
That all worked out at an impressive 7.9 FC Rating for Van de Beek.
It was a significant improvement on the 6.2 he mustered when playing out on the left the last time he was handed a United start against Everton in the EFL Cup.
While the positive display came against Championship opposition, he will hope to gain momentum from his best rating of the season so far.
🗝️ Key Stats
Van de Beek match stats
| Statistic | Value | Notes |
| FC Rating | 7.9 | Rank #3 |
| Mins Played | 90 | |
| Goals | 0 | |
| Assists | 0 | |
| Passes | 74 | Rank #2 |
| Recoveries | 11 | Rank #1 |
Van de Beek: What Next?
Van de Beek will hope his performance has moved himself into Solskjaer's thoughts for the Premier League game against Burnley on Tuesday.
An even bigger test awaits next weekend as United face champions Liverpool and Van de Beek will hope that is not another big game where he is left watching from the sidelines.
The fitness of Paul Pogba, who missed the Watford game through injury, could impact his chances of selection.
Either way, though, this outing - his first full 90 minutes since November - has given Van de Beek something to build from.
Donny van de Beek: Player Stats, Career Stats, Playing Position
Manchester United 1-0 Watford: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
Donny van de Beek 
Paul Pogba 
Scott McTominay 
Bruno Fernandes 
Man Utd 
Watford 
