Data shows Eriksen is key to United's engine room
Christian Eriksen is a cultured footballer, of that there is no doubt.
The Denmark international is brilliant to watch when dictating games with his sublime vision and laser-like precision passing.
However, his input in terms of getting around the pitch in the engine room should not be underestimated. As the Premier League's running stats for the 2022/23 season show, Christian put in the hard yards during his maiden season as a Red.
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Of the top 10 individual distances covered in a single Premier League game by United players, four of the highest figures belong to Christian.
Second to the Dane is Bruno Fernandes, with three of the top ranks, but Bruno was the Red who covered the most overall distance across the campaign. He did, however, play 59 matches, in comparison to Eriksen's 44.
All four of Eriksen's highest distances reside in United's top six too. Bruno's 12.26 km covered against Tottenham in October is the most of any match, but Christian has the second, third and fourth-highest stats.
The second-largest tally is 12.1 km, which Eriksen racked up during United's away victory at Leicester City in September, while third on the list is the 11.98 km that he ran during our 3-1 loss at Aston Villa.
Christian covered a total of 11.91 km in the 3-2 defeat at Arsenal, and Scott McTominay completes the top five with the 11.84 km he clocked up in United's memorable 2-1 triumph over Liverpool in August.
Eriksen's fourth, and United's sixth-highest total distance is the 11.82 km he managed during our opening-day defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Along with Fernandes and Casemiro, Eriksen ensures United's midfield has a good mix of quality, grit and energy.
As the stats show, the Scandinavian star has demonstrated time and time again his work-rate and ability to make things happen for his team-mates.
He is not just a good passer or a cultured dictator of the ball; he is a crucial cog in the Reds' engine room - without which, Erik ten Hag's team would not function as well.
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