So far midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been the breakout star not just at Old Trafford but in the entire Premier League. In his first three games he already has five assists–assisting on half of United’s goals.
He seems to have found his role late in the season at the 10 position that was previously occupied by Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata.
This year he has thrived there while Mata seems to have settled in on the right wing spot. Before the season I predicted a big season from the former Bundesliga player of the year with 15 assists and 15 goals. Well, it looks like that first number was way too low.
But Mkhitaryan has been one that has needed some time to adjust to a new system historically, and last year under Mourinho was no exception. But alas the key seems to have been revealed:
"It took more than a pep-talk to get Mkhitaryan ticking at Dortmund, though. Tuchel implemented an ultra-attacking system that Mkhitaryan joked felt like playing “with two defenders, three midfielders and five strikers.”He notes: “Even when we lost, we had fun.”And that feeling seems to be the key to unlocking the Armenian’s potential. If Mkhitaryan is having fun, the goals and assists will come. Luckily, fun is in the air at Old Trafford this season, as the Red Devils are 3-0-0 to start the year."
Who is the most valuable?
While I am enjoying his bounce back season, I say Mkhitaryan trails at least one other guy for the title of the most important player for United; even though some would disagree. The mantle of most valuable player belongs to Paul Pogba, and will hopefully for the next ten years. Pogba is a world-class midfielder who can control the game both on offense and defense. He has the speed to engineer the attack as well as the skills to score and hold the line in the middle of the field.
But even if Mkhitaryan isn’t the number one guy on the pitch, he seems to be playing his role to a T. As former US President Harry Truman said, “it’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” That personifies United so far this year–eleven guys who are playing together and executing on a high level so far.
Next: United must damper expectations
Let’s see if they can keep it up and if Mkhitaryan can set a new Premier League record for assists. Thierry Henry set the mark with 20 in 2002-03. Already Mkhitaryan is 25% of the way there and has 35 matches to go. While I doubt he keeps up his pace for 63, he only has to get 1/3rd of that amount to set a new record. Which looks very doable at this point.