Manchester United secured a narrow victory over FC Copenhagen during their midweek Champions League tie, yet it could have been another poor result had Andre Onana not saved a penalty in the last minute of the match.
It could perhaps be the catalyst that Erik ten Hag requires to continue this positive run. With a tie against Manchester City this afternoon, he is going to need everything going his way to secure a result against the Premier League champions.
However, not every player was in good form against the Danish side, as a few of the United starting XI failed to take their chance – most notably Sofyan Amrabat.
Sofyan Amrabat failed to impress against Copenhagen
The Morocco international was deployed in the heart of the midfield alongside Scott McTominay in midweek, yet failed to have a positive influence on the game.
The 5 foot 8 liability played just the first half, and while he completed 89% of his passes, the midfielder only took 32 touches while losing possession five times during the opening 45 minutes.
Amrabat was also dribbled past on one occasion and won just two duels. It was clear Ten Hag needed to change things up heading into the second half, and he brought on Christian Eriksen in his place.
The Dane demonstrated that he perhaps should have started with a solid display during the final 45, and he should be unleashed against City this afternoon on the back of it.
Why Christian Eriksen should start against Manchester City
Eriksen finished with a higher pass success rate (90%) and took more touches (36) than Amrabat during his time on the pitch, and it was clear he was a more dangerous threat going forward, too.
Not only did he manage a shot on target against Copenhagen, but Eriksen also created one big chance, made one key pass, and delivered one successful cross from two attempts.
He was much more proactive than Amrabat and this will be vital if United aim to secure a positive result against City today. The £150k-per-week star was lauded as “magic” by journalist Connor Aspinall for his part in the Red Devils’ eventual winner last time out.
When compared to positional peers playing at a similar level over the previous 12 months, the former Inter maestro currently ranks in the top 1% for assists (0.36), the top 10% for progressive passes (7.52) and the top 18% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.34), clearly proving his worth across Europe’s top five leagues.
This should be all Ten Hag needs in order to unleash him in the starting XI this afternoon, though during his time in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur and United, he has also scored five times and grabbed seven assists against City.
With this in mind, starting him alongside McTominay could prove to be a recipe for success in what is their most important game of the season so far.
Win, and the Old Trafford side could grow in confidence and continue their winning run. Lose, however, and they will be right back to square one.
