Hojlund hitting the mark
Rasmus Hojlund's goal against Newcastle United, the third in our 3-2 victory on Wednesday night, provided further evidence of the Denmark international's ability to finish off chances.
While the strike was only his second in his last 11 appearances for the Reds, it is clear that, when presented with openings, he can be relied upon to hit the target.
The summer signing, who also converted the winning spot-kick in the shootout victory against Coventry City in the Emirates FA Cup semi-final last month, did superbly to collect Bruno Fernandes's cheeky pass and then beat Dan Burn before firing past ex-Red Martin Dubravka.
Opta's research shows that, since Christmas, 191 players have managed 10 or more shots in the Premier League. Of these, Hojlund has the best conversion rate of any of them, posting an impressive figure of almost 50 per cent.
The Denmark hitman, who is set to face England at this summer's European Championship, is well clear in this regard, ahead of his closest rivals Elijah Adebayo, of Luton Town, and Crystal Palace's in-form Jean-Philippe Mateta.
BEST SHOT-CONVERSION RATE
1. Rasmus Hojlund (UNITED) - 19 shots/9 goals = 47.4%
2. Elijah Adebayo (Luton) - 16 shots/6 goals = 37.5%
3. Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) - 31 shots/11 goals = 35.5%
4. Yoane Wissa (Brentford) - 23 shots/8 goals = 34.8%
5. Diogo Jota (Liverpool) - 19 shots/6 goals = 31.6%
Opta stats - Players with 10+ shots since Christmas.
Ten Hag keen to find the right balance
ArticleErik knows he has a selection dilemma when it comes to our final two games of the season.
Our no.11 will be looking to add to his tally of 15 for the season (nine in the league), when the Reds face Brighton & Hove Albion and, in the FA Cup final, Manchester City before the season is out.
After coming off the bench to show he benefited from a little rest, the Scandinavian striker is currently level with Fernandes when it comes to the top-scoring stakes at Old Trafford in 2023/24.
If he can find the net on the south coast on Sunday, a double-figure return for the 21-year-old in his maiden Premier League campaign would surely represent a good start to life in red.
TOP SCORERS (PREMIER LEAGUE)
1. Bruno Fernandes - 10
2. Rasmus Hojlund - 9
3. Alejandro Garnacho - 7
3. Scott McTominay - 7
3. Marcus Rashford 7
TOP SCORERS (ALL COMPETITIONS)
1. Bruno Fernandes - 15
1. Rasmus Hojlund - 15
3. Scott McTominay - 10
4. Alejandro Garnacho - 9
5. Marcus Rashford - 8