Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League last season, 42 points behind champions Liverpool.
The Red Devils scored 44 goals in 38 outings in the league, with only Everton, who finished 13th, scoring fewer than them among the top 15. Liverpool, for context, scored 86 times in the Premier League last campaign.
Goalscoring was evidently a major issue for United last season and Ruben Amorim’s focus, as such, was on the attack over the summer.
Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Alejandro Garnacho have all been shown the door, while Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko were roped in to upgrade Amorim’s frontline.
The former two have already caught the eye with their efforts, although Sesko is still adapting to the rigours of a new league.
But despite the lavish spending to secure this attacking trident, goalscoring still appears to be United’s problem.
United are yet to get going this season
Despite investing heavily in the attack, Amorim’s team are yet to fire on all cylinders. United have just one win in four games across competitions in the new campaign.
According to Whoscored, the Premier League giants are the biggest xG (expected goals) underperformers (-4.99) in Europe’s top five leagues. The stats indicate that the Red Devils should have scored five more goals in the Premier League this campaign, but wasted their chances.
United have managed four goals in three games in the league so far, two of which have been own goals. They lost 1-0 to Arsenal, picked up a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage, and secured a 3-2 win over Burnley at Old Trafford.
Interestingly, Amorim’s team have hit the woodwork four times this season, more than any other team in the league.
There is light at the end of the tunnel
United have overhauled their attack over the summer, and it is, perhaps, wise to give the new signings some time to settle down.
All, as such, is not lost yet, especially since the team has shown signs of improvements compared to last season.
United’s attack has already posted impressive numbers when compared to the other Premier League teams this season. The Red Devils have registered the highest xG (6.78) in the league so far, while they have managed the most touches in the opposition box (99) as well.
Amorim’s team have the most shots (58), and the most shots in the box (44) in the Premier League this season. They have also registered the second-most shots on target (16).
Unfortunately, United have registered the fifth worst conversion rate (6.9%) in the league.
His team’s finishing is letting him down at the moment, but optimistic fans will point out that Amorim is slowly getting his act together at Old Trafford.
Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images
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Deepungsu Pandit
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.
