Manchester United’s Jekyll and Hyde season continues as they slipped to a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, made even more surprising considering they eased to a 3-0 win over the same opposition in midweek.
Erik ten Hag has now presided over four defeats in just seven Premier League matches so far this season and if they don’t improve, and fast, their title aspirations could be over before Halloween.
How did Manchester United perform vs Crystal Palace?
In midweek, United wrapped up the victory by scoring three goals in the first 55 minutes of the match, yet they couldn’t quite find that same ruthless nature this afternoon. The Red Devils did enjoy 77% possession throughout the tie, but clearly couldn’t take their chances. Indeed, they had only four shots on target while missing two big chances and these contributed to the defeat.
Ten Hag rotated a few members of his playing squad, and he unleashed striker Rasmus Hojlund from the first whistle, but the youngster failed to inspire the Old Trafford side to a victory.
How did Rasmus Hojlund play vs Crystal Palace?
The Dane was given the opportunity to lead the line by the manager as he looked to kickstart his United career Despite playing the full 90 minutes, Hojlund took only 25 touches – this was 12 touches fewer than Andre Onana who managed 37 during the match, indicating just how little influence he had.
When he did have a rare touch of the ball, the striker completed only 13 passes while making just one key pass and losing possession five times, which is further evidence that he struggled with the ball at his feet.
Hojlund did succeed with 100% of his dribble attempts while also having three shots in total, yet failing to score may have dented his confidence while letting Ten Hag down in the process.
Since arriving in Manchester, the former Atalanta forward hasn’t quite settled in as yet, playing just six matches so far and scoring only one goal, against Bayern Munich in the Champions League during their 4-3 defeat.
That performance gave Ten Hag a glimpse into exactly what he can offer United going forward as the striker received a Sofascore rating of 7.2 for his display while having two shots in total and winning 100% of his aerial duels during the match, showcasing his strength in the air.
It was an impressive debut in Europe’s elite competition for the young Dane and showed that if he is given the chance to get up to speed, he will be a major success at United, no doubt about it.
Today was however a poor performance overall and one that will need to be forgotten about sooner rather than later if he is to help the Red Devils come out of this recent malaise. With a hectic schedule in the next few weeks, Ten Hag will need to count on Hojlund to add to his goal tally if he looks to lead the club to more glory this term.
