Manchester United beat West Ham United 3-0 in a Premier League match at Old Trafford last Sunday to rise to the sixth position in the Premier League standings, United now have 38 points from 23 matches but are still a good six points adrift of the fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
However, the emphatic win against West Ham United must have satisfied Erik ten Hag to a great extent. Still, his team cannot afford to be complacent and has to ensure participation in the Europa League next season.
Garnacho’s Sensational Performance
Garnacho scored a brace against West Ham, finishing with his right foot on each occasion. The 19-year-old Argentine forward has now scored seven goals in 31 matches for United this season. However, four of those goals have come while he was playing on the right flank despite him playing more often on the left flank.
Embed from Getty ImagesNow, accommodating Marcus Rashford and Garnacho in the starting XI has been challenging for ten Hag. Rashford is more effective playing on the left and has not looked close to his best while playing on the right. Garnacho also prefers to play on the left and has played there for most of the season, forcing Rashford to play on the right.
Hence, Garnacho’s ability to find the net while playing on the right must have been a blessing for United. The young Argentine is probably the only Manchester United player aside from Kobbie Mainoo, who has been able to enhance his reputation this season.
Embed from Getty ImagesWith Antony continuing to be out of form and Jadon Sancho already loaned to Borussia Dortmund. United do not have a specialist right-winger in their team. Hence, ten Hag should keep playing Garnacho on the right for the remainder of the season. It will also enable him to extract the best out of Rashford.
Rasmus Hojlund Shines Brightly
Hojlund also seems to have found his groove and has now scored in each of his last four matches for the Red Devils. The 21-year-old striker from Denmark thus became the youngest Manchester United player to score in four consecutive Premier League matches.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe seems to be connecting better with the pair of wingers now, making crucial off-the-ball runs into the opposition penalty box. United, however, does not have too many good attacking choices on their bench, with Anthony Martial terribly out of form and Facundo Pellistri not seeing much action.
In such a scenario, Manchester United will depend a lot upon their three youngsters. With Garnacho, Hojlund and Mainoo hoping to ensure a respectable finish in the league. They have another difficult match coming up against Aston Villa, who will also fancy their chances of finishing inside the top four.
Embed from Getty ImagesThey then have a couple of relatively easy matches against Luton Town and Fulham before they square off against Manchester City in the first week of March.
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It remains to be seen how well ten Hag’s team can fare in those matches, as getting as many points as possible from those three matches will be key towards ensuring participation in European competitions next season.
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