Manchester United broke Premier League record this season with victory over Leicester
Manchester United are making steady progress and their convincing 3-0 victory against Leicester City last weekend is further proof that they are heading in the right direction under Erik ten Hag.
The result means that United are now only five points behind league leaders Arsenal and have an eight-point advantage over Newcastle United, a position that would have seemed unlikely after the first two games of the season.
Since the domestic season resumed following a break for the World Cup, United have only lost one game
The recent win over Leicester, where Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho scored, also saw Ten Hag’s team set a new Premier League record for the season.
Manchester United generated 4.5 xG against Leicester yesterday, the highest ANY team has managed in any PL game so far this season.
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) February 20, 2023
ETH is cooking 🧑🍳 pic.twitter.com/y0fbAbO1zy
OptaAnalyst reports that Manchester United generated a remarkable 4.5 xG (Expected Goals) from their 26 shots in the game against Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City, which is the highest xG created by any team in a match this season.
However, the final scoreline flattered the visitors, and Ten Hag may be disappointed that United did not increase their goal difference further, given the number of chances they created.
It is noteworthy that despite some large victories in the Premier League this season, such as Liverpool’s 9-0 win over Bournemouth, United have now created the most goalscoring opportunities in a single game.
Later this week, Ten Hag will be looking for a similar performance from his team as they host Barcelona at Old Trafford for the second leg of their Europa League play-off round.
United are well-positioned to advance, having secured a valuable 2-2 draw at Barcelona’s home ground, the Spotify Camp Nou, in the first leg. Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer, who were suspended for the first game, will be eligible for selection this week, providing additional options for the manager.
Manchester United broke Premier League record this season with victory over Leicester
