Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee enjoyed another one of his better games for the club, as they beat Ipswich Town 3-2 at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening.
United got off to a horrible start, with Jaden Philogene capitalising on a calamitous mix-up between Patrick Dorgu and goalkeeper Andre Onana to tap home.
Sam Morsy’s own goal and a Matthijs de Ligt effort put United ahead, only for Dorgu to be handed a red card for a poor challenge on Omari Hutchinson. Things went from bad to worse for United as the visitors levelled soon after courtesy of Philogene, whose cross crept past Onana.
But Harry Maguire’s header almost immediately after the interval proved enough for Amorim to collect just his fifth league win in charge of the Red Devils.
A number of United players produced good performances including the two goalscorers, Bruno Fernandes and Leny Yoro.
Another who gave a good account of themselves was Zirkzee. The forward’s start to life at United has by no means been perfect but over the past few games, he has shown signs of improvement, especially thriving in the number 10 role, behind the striker.
Against Ipswich, Zirkzee impressed with some of his touches, close control of the ball, hold-up play and passing. His physicality also seems to have improved and he used his body well in a number of situations.
During the time he was on the pitch, the Netherlands international won 100% of his tackles and came out on top in five of the duels he contested.
He made four ball recoveries and embarked on four dribbles.
The 23-year-old also made one clearance and twice as many interceptions. He attempted one shot.
Joshua Zirkzee’s game by numbers vs. Ipswich:
100% tackles won
5 duels won
4 ball recoveries
4 dribbles
2 interceptions
1 clearance
1 shotPut in an incredible shift. 🪫👏 pic.twitter.com/BlSWm7Vgn5
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 26, 2025
It certainly wasn’t a masterclass but he is raising the bar every single week and on current trajectory, it’s only a matter of time until he fully explodes in a United shirt.
Amorim and his players are back in action on Sunday when they face Fulham in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
