In 14 matches, Manchester United has faced 6 losses, securing 8 wins with no draws. Premier League’s top ten teams haven’t faced as many losses in as many games. Currently, Arsenal leads at the top with 9 points ahead of United. If they don’t catch up quickly, United might slip from the top-four race, despite their ongoing tussle for the top spot.
In their recent match against Newcastle, United struggled from the beginning. This game will serve as evidence of United’s poor performance. Despite having 58% ball possession and taking 22 shots, only 4 were on target and just one resulted in a goal. On the other hand, although Newcastle had only 42% possession, they managed to take 8 shots, with one hitting the mark and securing three points against United, placing them 5th on the points table.
Out of the 6 matches, United won 5, hinting at their ability to turn matches around. However, their recent loss has put pressure on coach Erik ten Hag.
At the end of the match, Erik ten Hag credited Newcastle, saying, “Today, we need to credit Newcastle. They were a better team than us. They were very enterprising. We provided them opportunities to score. In the end, we fought, but we couldn’t gather points.”
The biggest concern for Manchester United at the moment is the inconsistency of their forward, Marcus Rashford. Last season, he scored 30 goals across all competitions but has only scored 2 in 18 matches this season. A striker’s erratic form often makes it difficult for any team to secure wins.
Despite this, Erik ten Hag remains confident in Rashford’s imminent return to form, stating, “I know it will come. Marcus is working hard. We’re behind him. He’ll return to form soon. Rashford is putting in a lot of effort. He’ll have all sorts of support from our side.”
