Mkhitaryan’s season?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic noted earlier this week that this season would belong to no other than Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Not to Zlatan himself, nor Paul Pogba or Romelu Lukaku. For some reason, the 35-year-old pointed to the diminutive Armenian.
And the 2-0 win over Leicester revealed exactly why. Mkhitaryan was a simply effervescent force at No.10, skimming across the surface with grace and purpose all afternoon, rendering Matty James and Wilfried Ndidi bystanders for the most part. He never looks like losing possession and always seems to find the right pass – something Marcus Rashford will attest to after launching home from a corner following the 28-year-old’s pin-point corner to give Manchester United a deserved lead.
He now has five assists after three games. Nobody has done that in the last six Premier League seasons. In fact, he is just two assists away from Philipe Coutinho’s best ever Premier League total – after just three games. He has the same number of assists as Manchester City have goals this season.
Put simply, he is running the show, and supporters will hope it continues.
United need to improve their crossing
Logic dictates that, when camped inside an opponent’s half, stretching the play gives you more avenues through which to break the lines. And Jose Mourinho’s men were relatively disciplined in doing this, if only occasionally prone to seeing the likes of Anthony Martial and Juan Mata cut inside to have an influence.
But the message was clear: stretch Craig Shakespeare’s side and send dangerous crosses in Lukaku’s direction. When it came to it, however, full backs Daley Blind and Antonio Valencia couldn’t provide any quality delivery. And with the Belgian, along with Pogba and Nemanja Matic, posing an immense physical threat Mourinho will know that something needs to change to get the best out of his big guns in the box.
Lukaku has more to his game than goals
Lukaku left his shooting boots at home on Saturday – a disappointing anomaly for somebody with four goals already in a United shirt, but also understandable. Even Pele had the occasional off day. His penalty in the second half, won after a Danny Simpson handball, was easily saved by Kasper Schmeichel – albeit illegally – and he spurned a good chance late on.
But this was not a subpar performance. If anything, his anonymity in front of goal highlighted other areas of his game that deserve immense recognition. This myth about his first touch, for one thing, is dissolving quickly – he held up the ball brilliantly, battling with Wes Morgan and Harry Maguire and picking out teammates with guile and purpose.
Above anything, he is an exhausting striker to go up against. Lukaku’s presence will, bit by bit, grind you down – and it paved the way for another late flurry from Mourinho’s side at Old Trafford.
Mourinho’s men can hold their nerve
Craig Shakespeare’s men presented United with their biggest challenge of the Premier League season so far. They are an uncompromising unit, almost unbearably English in their kick-and-rush style. They hunt in packs and smash the ball in Jamie Vardy’s direction whenever they get the chance. And they are tough. This is a side with real spirit and they made United work hard.
Last season, this kind of game would have only gone one way. A gloomy sense of foreboding would have encircled Old Trafford soon after that missed penalty, and the following closing stages would have been a spectacle of agonising graft with no reward.
This time around, however, there was an aura surrounding Mourinho’s side omitting a real sense of composure, almost as if they knew an opener was coming. Old Trafford could sense it too. Even after Lukaku’s failed spot-kick, you felt it was coming. This United side have a level of assurance and grit about them that simply wasn’t there last season and, crucially, the mood at the Theatre of Dreams has changed.
Martial has his mojo back
For young, talented wingers like Martial, confidence is everything. He came into last season following a disappointing Euro 2016 campaign and looked isolated on the pitch, seemingly averse to having any meaningful involvement. Something about him just felt wrong.
Fast forward a year and the contrast couldn’t be clearer. The Frenchman, having claimed two goals and an assist in United’s opening couple of games, took to the pitch with a tangible air of menace. He was eager to impose himself on Simpson and duly stretched him from every angle, carrying the ball with energy and purpose. But there was more to his game than that: the winger was keen to involve himself at every turn, linking up nicely with Mkhitaryan and producing penetrative passes.
When Martial enters that special groove, there really is nothing like it.
