It’s amazing what a goal can do to a player’s confidence and how it can change their season because Rasmus Hojlund is feeling just that for Manchester United right now.
After Manchester United’s summer capture scored his first Premier League goal against Aston Villa on Boxing Day, he can’t stop finding the back of the net now and that run continued against West Ham United on Sunday.
You could argue that this strike from the 21-year-old, who was celebrating his birthday, was the best of the lot because he outfoxed the West Ham players in front of him.
After being fed the ball by Casemiro, the Danish star faked to shoot on his left foot, before opening up his body and drilling the ball into the bottom corner with pure precision with his weaker foot to open the scoring for Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Dwight Yorke and Ian Wright, two great strikers of the Premier League era, were left in awe of Rasmus Hojlund and added that it was both ‘fantastic’ and ‘beautiful’ from the young star, as they told Premier League Productions (04/02/24 at 2:50 pm).
He has now scored in four consecutive league games and isn’t showing any signs that he is stopping there.
There was a lot of pressure on Rasmus Hojlund when he first arrived, the big price-tag, playing for Man United, the pressure and struggles the team were going through, and then, his own poor performances.
But all of that is now turning on its head because, nevermind the senior players, it’s the young guns stepping up, as was proven with Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho scoring the goals during the 3-0 win over West Ham.
Rasmus Hojlund scores again for Manchester United
“Fantastic,” said Yorke. “All attackers sitting amongst us here. Great goal. I think it’s Casemiro who has done well there to keep it alive.
“Here, when you thought he was actually going to take it on with his left foot, he has managed to shift it. We didn’t see that coming because we haven’t seen much of him, or I haven’t certainly seen much of him to really see if he has got that in the locker. Fantastic finish as well, on his weaker foot.”
Wright added: “That’s what Man United want to do. I think Casemiro is key here. Look at him, he has already sensed the danger and bam!
“Keep the ball here, so you can get into situations like this. And he has finished it very, very calmly. He has finished it like somebody who is confident. The way he took the pass, then his weaker foot. A beautiful goal.”
Manchester United still chasing Champions League football
After an abject first half of the season, the performances and points are now starting to pick up for ten Hag, just like they did during the second half of the previous campaign.
That win against the Hammers pushes Man United into sixth place, six points behind fifth-placed Tottenham and a further eight points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Man United will need to beat Unai Emery’s men next week at Villa Park, if they want to stand a chance of a top-four finish.
Or else, they will be praying that fifth spot opens up for the Champions League because it’s going to be needed.
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