Thursday 7 November 2019 11:43, UK
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended for Manchester United's clash with Arsenal, Jose Mourinho faces a selection dilemma up front. The stats suggest it's time to unleash Marcus Rashford through the middle.
Arsenal's visit to Old Trafford on Saturday stirs special memories for Marcus Rashford. The teenager scored twice in three minutes when he made his Premier League debut in the same fixture last season, helping Manchester United to a memorable 3-2 win and catapulting his name into the headlines.
Three days earlier he had netted two goals on his senior bow against Midtjylland, but doing it against a Premier League title contender was a different story. Rashford became a superstar-in-waiting, and the previously unknown youngster finished the season as Louis van Gaal's first-choice striker with eight goals in 18 appearances.
Nine months on from those thrilling beginnings, Rashford finds himself in a rather different situation. Jose Mourinho made a point of defending his youth policy at his Manchester United unveiling in July, but the critics appeared to be vindicated as Zlatan Ibrahimovic took centre stage and United's rising star started the season on the bench.
Rashford had to be patient, but he has made a habit of taking his chances. He came off the bench to score a stoppage-time winner against Hull in his first competitive appearance under Mourinho in August, and he won his new manager's trust with an industrious second-half cameo in the Manchester derby.
Rashford was rewarded with a chance to lead the line for United's Europa League trip to Feyenoord a few days later, but he struggled to make an impact in a 1-0 defeat at De Kuip. Ibrahimovic was restored up front, and Rashford has been confined to the flanks ever since.
It's an unfamiliar role for the academy product. Rashford revealed he had not played as a winger since the age of 12 or 13 in an interview with Sky Sports in September, and he was clear about his priorities, too. "On a personal level, scoring lots of goals is the main objective," he said.
Four goals in his first six appearances of the campaign augured well, but Rashford has struggled to hit the heights of last season since then. He has not scored in his last seven appearances for United. The barren run stretches to 10 games for club and country. It's the longest of his fledgling career.
Rashford hopes the experience of playing out wide will make him a more "complete" player and Mourinho has been impressed by his defensive work-rate, but his new responsibilities are clearly coming at a cost. A statistical comparison between this season and last reveals his attacking output has dropped in all departments.
Rashford is a penalty box predator who scored with his first shots on his Europa League, Premier League and international debuts. But since moving to the flanks he is shooting less and spending less time in the areas where he is most effective. In United's goalless draw at Anfield last month, he didn't touch the ball once in Liverpool's box.
It's not just his goal threat which has been diminished. Rashford is creating fewer chances than last season, his dribbles have fallen from 4.7 per game to 3.3, and his crossing stats are those of a striker shoehorned into an unnatural position. Of 25 attempted deliveries, only two have found a team-mate. It gives him a success rate of just eight per cent.
Despite the obvious drawbacks of moving Rashford from his favoured position, Mourinho's faith in Ibrahimovic has been unwavering. The Swede went six Premier League games without scoring before his double against Swansea prior to the international break, but he is still the only outfield player to have started every minute of United's campaign.
Rashford, of course, is not the only player in the frame to deputise against Arsenal. Wayne Rooney has lost his place in the United team this season, but he could get the nod to start up front on Saturday having recovered from the apparent knee injury which forced him out of England duty.
Mourinho might be tempted to err on the side of experience when he comes to pick his team, but he would be better off casting his mind back to the last time Arsenal visited Old Trafford. Rashford was the hero that day. Moving him back into his natural position could be United's best hope of claiming another three points against the Gunners.
