Manchester United identified an area that required improvement and justifiably sought to rectify it in the transfer window.
There’s no secret that Man Utd struggled in the final third last season — under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils scored just 44 league goals, the fifth-fewest in the Premier League. Only the relegated trio and Everton scored fewer.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee both routinely fluffed their lines in front of goal. The duo combined for just seven goals as Man Utd laboured to their worst ever Premier League finish. The additions of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko pointed to a complete overhaul of the Man Utd offensive line.
- Fantastic Promotions
- Fun Social Media Content
- New Bookmaker
#AD 18+ *New customers only. Bet £5+ in a single real-money bet within 7 days of registration to receive £20 in Free Bets and 2 Rocket Odds Boosts, credited within 24 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Free Bets and Rocket Odds Boosts expire 7 days after credit. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. 18+. Gambleaware.org
Amorim is persisting with the back three even if there have been calls for him to change his ways. The Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town was perhaps a case in point that Amorim needs to compromise on his tactical principles. But with massive change to the attack, there are expected teething issues.
Even so, Man Utd have claimed four points from the opening three games. In truth, they could have nine from a possible nine. They were unfortunate to lose to Arsenal on the opening weekend. And they were a Bruno Fernandes penalty miss away from all the spoils at Fulham last month.
Admittedly Man Utd were incredibly fortunate to claim victory against Burnley ahead of the international break. Fernandes this time made no mistake from the spot late on to down the Clarets in a 3-2 home win. On paper, it’s hardly been the perfect start to the campaign for Amorim and his men. But to head into the international break with a first three points on the board is a confidence boost.
That being said, Man Utd’s underlying numbers in the opening weeks of the season shows a clear improvement. Their attack was routinely criticised, and deservedly so. But the early season performances suggests it’s only a matter of time before Man Utd truly find their rhythm under Amorim.
With a first full pre-season under his belt, Amorim has finally been able to really translate his ideas across to his players. It may be a small sample size, but Man Utd’s 2025-26 outings are encouraging to say the least. While they have scored just four league goals, they have generated the highest Expected Goals haul (6.78) in the division.
A critique of Man Utd last season was their inability to routinely put their chances away. Their xG underperformance was among the highest in the league. But the fact they are carving out the opportunities is a positive.
Much of that is again down to Fernandes. The Man Utd captain ranks top for chances created (12) in the Premier League this season. Last season, there was a fairly sizeable gap between the Portugal international and Man Utd second-most creative player last season. But that isn’t the case this time around. Summer signing Mbeumo currently places third for chances created in the league on nine. Leeds United’s Anton Stach (10) is sandwiched between the pair. This is key for a number of reasons.
Notably, Man Utd have a creator to help take some of the pressure off Fernandes. With Fernandes also operating in a deeper central midfield role and Mbeumo in the one of the two No.10 spots, Amorim is able to call upon two creators in different areas of the pitch.
It’s a core reason behind Man Utd ranking top for touches inside the opposition box (99), shots (58) and shots inside the opposition box (44). They also place second for shots on target (16). New signing Cunha is averaging more shots (3 to 2.8) and shots on target per 90 (2.2 to 1.6) this season than he was last, while his shot accuracy has also risen from 55% to 71.43%. It’s a similar story for Mbeumo, who has also seen an increase on these three metrics.
Throw new signing Benjamin Sesko into the mix, and once the trio develop that understanding, Man Utd should prove a far more testing proposition than they were in the 2024-25 campaign. The elephant in the room, however, remains the failure to consistently hit the back of the net.
Man Utd presently have the fifth worst conversion rate (6.9%) in the Premier League. Including blocked shots, Man Utd have the worst shot conversion rate of any ever-present Premier League side since Amorim took charge last November (8.33%).
Neutrals may be revelling in a sub-par start from Man Utd, particularly given the outlay on the frontline. But their beginning to the season has been promising even if their points haul and position don’t reflect their performances in the opening weeks. It may not look it but Man Utd are moving in the right direction under Amorim, and it’s only a matter of time before they start to surge up the table.