Manchester United star put in his most impressive performance to date for the Red Devils.
Marouane Fellaini made his Manchester United comeback at the weekend, and it was a successful one.
In fact the 2-0 away win at Crystal Palace was the only Premier League match he has started this season for United or Everton that he has ended up on the winning team in nine attempts.
The 26-year-old won the praise of teammate Wayne Rooney, who told MUTV: “I thought he did really well. He’s a good player and different to anything we’ve got. He’s big and strong in the middle of the park and can get up and down the pitch.”
Manager David Moyes was in agreement, telling ManUtd.com: “I’m pleased with how he played. He did well. He’s come in and given us something different which we hoped he would.
“He made a chance for himself and should have scored, but it was only his first game for nearly three months, so he needs a bit of time to settle. Everyone needs that at times.”
The statistics from the victory at Selhurst Park suggest the positive words for the Belgian international were well earned.
Here are five ways in which Fellaini’s performance was his best of the season so far:
Touches
Fellaini touched the ball almost 100 times against Palace, his most imposing influence on a game in a United shirt to date.
| Player | Match | Matchday | Touches | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marouane Fellaini | Crystal Palace vs Man Utd | 27 | 98 | 88 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man Utd vs Everton | 14 | 90 | 90 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man City vs Man Utd | 05 | 82 | 90 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man Utd vs Southampton | 08 | 78 | 76 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Cardiff vs Man Utd | 12 | 75 | 90 |
Number of accurate passes
Fellaini completed 65 accurate passes, more than in any game for the club. His passing accuracy while slightly better in losses to Everton and Manchester City, game about with fewer complete passes.
| Player | Match | Matchday | Passing accuracy % | Accurate Pass | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marouane Fellaini | Crystal Palace vs Man Utd | 27 | 91.55 | 65 | 88 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man Utd vs Everton | 14 | 92.65 | 63 | 90 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man City vs Man Utd | 05 | 92.31 | 60 | 90 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man Utd vs Southampton | 08 | 85.45 | 47 | 76 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Cardiff vs Man Utd | 12 | 83.02 | 44 | 90 |
Won tackles, tackling percentage
In no other game this season has Fellaini won three tackles, while recording a 100 per cent success rate.
| Name | Match | Matchday | Tackle success rate % | Won Tackle | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marouane Fellaini | Crystal Palace vs Man Utd | 27 | 100.00 | 3 | 88 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man Utd vs Southampton | 08 | 100.00 | 1 | 76 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man City vs Man Utd | 05 | 100.00 | 1 | 90 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Cardiff vs Man Utd | 12 | 75.00 | 3 | 90 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man Utd vs Everton | 14 | 60.00 | 3 | 90 |
Ball recovery
Fellaini won back possession for United by picking up loose balls 10 times, matching his season’s best in the 1-0 home defeat to Everton.
| Player | Match | Matchday | Ball Recovery | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marouane Fellaini | Crystal Palace vs Man Utd | 27 | 10 | 88 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man Utd vs Everton | 14 | 10 | 90 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Fulham vs Man Utd | 10 | 8 | 45 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man Utd vs Southampton | 08 | 8 | 76 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Man City vs Man Utd | 05 | 7 | 90 |
| Marouane Fellaini | Cardiff vs Man Utd | 12 | 5 | 90 |
Possession won attacking third
In the win at Palace, Fellaini won possession back for United in the attacking third of the pitch for the first time since joining the club.
| Player | Match | Matchday | Team | Pos | Poss Won Att 3rd | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marouane Fellaini | Crystal Palace vs Man Utd | 27 | Man Utd | MF | 1 | 88 |
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