I love how the Muscular and Gentle power struggle parallel each other and how much it shows Deku has grown as a character with a simple callback to him getting overpowered while his back is to the ground.

Unlike his struggle against Gentle to overpower him, Deku is unable to overpower Muscular and his whole body is forced to the ground.

Deku REALLY thinks he is going to die here and is giving up on trying to defeat Muscular at this point.

Deku even goes as far as to apologize to his mother and All Might for failing them and for thinking he's letting them down for dying and not saving Kota.

Deku is faced with another power struggle with another enemy who is far stronger than he is once again.

But unlike before Deku doesn't give up and is standing his ground not letting his back hit the ground like before.

There's too many people that believe in him now and he doesn't want to let them down with everything that they have give him up to this point.

Deku successfully protected what he wanted to without giving up and having someone else (Kota) help him.

Just a little taste of the Deku thread.