Three great reasons why Erik ten Hag should start, player Bruno Fernandes against Man City has been highlighted
Mason Mount has been absent in recent matches in Erik ten Hag’s plans, However, this match is very important for Manchester United and his qualities can help the red half of Manchester win.
Since moving from Chelsea in the summer, Mason Mount has not really set the league on fire for Manchester United. The early struggles haven’t been helped by injuries and the rest of the team is also struggling, but this match could be perfect for him.
Mount has shown signs over the past month, especially against Crystal Palace where he performed brilliantly despite defeat.
The acceptance ahead of such a difficult match – the Manchester Derby – is that Manchester City will dominate possession, meaning United will need to prepare accordingly.. Mount has “great qualities”, as Bruno Fernandes previously told Sky Sports during pre-season, which could help United.
Here are three reasons why Mount should be in the starting line-up against Man City.
Mount’s performance will help
One thing we can guarantee to get Mount’s performance at the start made him a far better choice than Christian Eriksen to star in this film. City will dominate the game, that’s a known fact because they always do.
This means that United should recruit players to best deal with the danger that Man City will pose. Mount’s relentless running could be a great way to stop Rodri from dictating the game. Similar work was done by Ander Herrera on Eden Hazard many years ago.
If United stop Rodri, they can stop City.
Better technical ability than McTominay
This is a style of play that doesn’t suit Scott McTominay’s goal. His qualities will be lost if he is not recruited further, with United needing more technical ball carriers in midfield to ensure they can retain possession after winning it back Okay.
Mount’s ability to dribble and pass consistently could be key here in getting the ball out and turning defense into attack, which is the strategy likely to be adopted. So giving up McTominay for Mount would be a great trade.
Big league experience
Mount is a player with big league experience and they don’t get much bigger than Manchester Derby.
Mount supported Kai Havertz against Man City in the Champions League final a few years ago, and we can make a similar contribution in this match.
This could have been the match where Mount instantly became United’s hero, we won’t forget that either.
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Video Highlights of Arsenal 5-0 Sheffield United: Nketiah scores hat-trick
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Eddie Nketiah returned to the Arsenal starting line-up in style as the England striker scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 5-0 win over the team bottom of the table Sheffield United.
Mikel Arteta made five changes for the Blades’ away trip and it was Nketiah – replacing the injured Gabriel Jesus – who proved the difference and ended a memorable afternoon with the captain’s armband. Substitutes Fabio Vieira and Takehiro Tomiyasu completed the late points with a penalty and a close-range goal respectively on an afternoon that saw Arsenal’s fringe players take center stage. Martin Odegaard drops to the bench in Arteta’s most notable change, which also sees Emile Smith Rowe make his first league start since May 2022.
Victory lifts Arsenal to second place, 2 points away from the top team and north.
London rival Tottenham, Arteta’s army remains unbeaten after 10 matches in the national championship.
For the Blades, it was a crazy afternoon when – when their resolute defense was breached for the opening goal just before the half-hour mark – the writing was on the wall.
Traveling fans chanted the name of under-pressure manager Paul Heckingbottom, but they are yet to see their team win on their return to the top flight, with just a point on the clock. With Jesus ruled out for several weeks due to a hamstring injury, Nketiah was once again tasked with fulfilling his duties as Arsenal’s striker.
His touch and finish for the opener proved he was up to the task as the England international put the Gunners on the path to a comfortable win over the bottom-placed Blades.
Wes Foderingham might have been busier in the first half, but he was on hand to keep Gabriel Martinelli’s fierce shot off the post five minutes before the break.
The second goal came five minutes after the break, this time Foderingham took a corner kick from Bukayo Saka, the ball fell to Nketiah who fired a shot into the top corner.
VAR’s check of the United goalkeeper’s foul possibility could not save the away team. Nketiah, who made his England debut coming off the bench in the 1-0 friendly win over Australia earlier this month, tried his best for the final game.
Receiving a pass from Smith Rowe, the 24-year-old shot from 20 meters to complete his hat-trick.
Saka, captain in the absence of Odegaard and Jesus, was replaced shortly afterwards and – to the cheers of the home fans – handed the captaincy to Nketiah.
Nketiah collected the ball for the first time to take the late penalty awarded after a lengthy VAR check by referee Tim Robinson after Vieira was caught by Oliver Norwood.
But instead, Vieira made the mistake of sending Foderingham in the wrong direction and extended the gap.
Tomiyasu completed the scoring in stoppage time after Mohamed Elneny’s shot from close range deflected off the Japanese defender.
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For possibly the first time since August, Manchester United’s back-four should pick itself when Manchester City visit Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds’ defensive department has been hampered by injury and illness-related issues since the opening month of the season, meaning it has been impossible for manager Erik ten Hag to find a settled and consistent rearguard. Three of the four members that started the opening two games of the season are expected to miss Sunday’s derby, highlighting the sheer size of the problem.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw joined Raphael Varane in forming the back-four for United’s opening two Premier League outings this season, starting the win over Wolves and defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, but only the latter is currently fit. Shaw was the first casualty of that quartet, suffering a muscle injury in the build-up to the win over Nottingham Forest.
He’s the player they’ve missed the most for a collection of different reasons, though two have been more noticeable than others. The England defender was virtually an ever-present figure for Ten Hag last term, either at left-back or as a makeshift centre-back.
His United career, like those of several others, was resurrected last season, benefitting from Ten Hag’s elite-level coaching credentials. He made 47 appearances in total, scoring one goal and chipping in with six assists. He also made a significant contribution to the 28 clean sheets that were recorded in all competitions.
After initially losing his place to Tyrell Malacia after a shaky start to the Ten Hag era, Shaw wrestled his spot back after the former was given a schooling by Phil Foden in the 6-3 defeat to City last October. The former Southampton man has topped the pecking order at left-back ever since.
Though his statistics last season, both offensively and defensively, made good reading, Shaw’s game was about much more than just his work in both boxes. He was a key contributor to United’s style of play between both boxes.
Ten Hag, from the outset of his tenure, made it clear that he wanted to transform United into a possession-based team. The signings of Christian Eriksen, Casemiro and Martinez immediately highlighted in the summer of 2022, with the trio renowned for their ball-playing expertise.
Working in tandem, Martinez and Shaw almost immediately transformed the left side of United’s defence, with the duo’s ball-playing credentials shining through. Both are excellent at progressing the ball out from the back, and Shaw’s ability to do that in the left full-back position has been sorely missed in recent weeks.
Shaw, who turned 28 in July, was essential to United’s build-up play last season, progressing the ball forward and contributing to the transition. He also assisted with ball retention in midfield, sometimes tucking into the centre of the pitch, a trait which United have attempted to persist with this season.
Furthermore, Shaw is a first-class professional, who is never afraid to speak the truth. He fronted up after United’s dismal 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in April, setting the record straight by telling several home truths. United need leaders of his ilk.
As well as that, perhaps even more crucially, his absence at left-back has been felt by Marcus Rashford. The United academy graduate, who scored the winner in last season’s all-Manchester affair at Old Trafford, has scored just one goal so far this season and has looked a shadow of the player he was last term.
Though he deserved tremendous levels of credit for what he achieved last season, becoming the first United player to score 30 goals in a season since Robin van Persie a decade earlier, a lot of his success was built on the fact he had sound knowledge he’d built a solid and fruitful partnership with Shaw. The England colleagues would often link up down the left-flank, displaying a firm understanding of each other’s personal game.
It was a reliable partnership, one which United frequently prospered from. Rashford has had anything but a settled partner on the left so far this term, with the left-back spot, in Shaw’s absence, having been shared between Sergio Reguilon, Victor Lindelof and Sofyan Amrabat because of further injury troubles.
The sooner Shaw overcomes his muscle problem and returns to full fitness, the better, both for United as a collective and Rashford personally. He is a vitally important cog in the way Ten Hag wants his team to play, and his presence has been sorely missed.
