United Beyond Manchester

Rasmus Hojlund has been on a rampage recently, with five goals and two assists in his last five games. This has helped lead Manchester United to a five-match unbeaten run with four wins. Let’s look at the good aspects of this run, as well as the underlying worrying signs hidden in the statistics of it.

The Good

After failing to score in his first fourteen Premier League matches, Hojlund has taken off. He has played at least 86 minutes in each and has five goals and two assists. Hojlund’s goals have varied as well. He has scored goals with sheer will, like the goal against Wolves, and has scored a blast with his weak foot against West Ham. His hold-up play has also continued to improve. With his back to goal in the Wolves game, Hojlund held off his defender and laid the ball off perfectly for Rashford to finesse the ball into the far corner. Hold-up play has been one area that United has missed the past few years.

In games that Hojlund has scored in the Premier League, Manchester United have yet to lose. Teams win games when their striker scores. Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Tottenham all have strikers with more goals than United’s top scorers. If Hojlund continues to score, then there may be a lot to look forward to as the second half of the season continues.

The Worrying

Rasmus Hojlund’s form has been unbelievable, almost too unbelievable. His five goals have come on only eight shots, which equals a 62.5% conversion rate on his shots. This rate of finishing is not sustainable, and if he had not been finishing, then we would be talking more about the fact that he only has eight shots in five games playing through the middle.

Hojlund needs more service. This has not been a mystery and was a major part of the reason that he had failed to score before this streak. One example is that Alejandro Garnacho is averaging a measly 0.3 crosses per game in the Premier League, which is very poor for a winger. Hojlund’s teammates need to be getting the ball to him. Hojlund has now shown his instincts and determination in his finishing, so his teammates need to help him continue this form by feeding him the ball.

The underlying stats may be worrying, but the fact still is that Hojlund is scoring and, United is winning. Until those two things change, let’s enjoy this winning form and hope it continues.