It is reasonable to say that Manchester United have been underwhelming this season, with their sixth-place position in the Premier League certainly backing up that statement.
The 3-1 defeat to Manchester City was the latest indication that Erik ten Hag’s team is far from where they need to be, challenging for the title.
Even though United took the lead early on, it was a complete mismatch from the first whistle to the last, with City having 3.08 xG more than the Reds.
Many of the United faithful believe that Alejandro Garnacho has been their most important player this season, but as was evident at the weekend, there’s one player who continues to impress.
Alejandro Garnacho’s stats this season
Garnacho burst onto the Premier League scene last season, and just a year later, he’s developed into one of the most promising talents in Europe.
With the belief and trust of Ten Hag, the Argentine has gone to another level this season, starting 19 Premier League matches and all of United’s last 24 games across all competitions.
The 19-year-old has netted five times in the league while providing three assists, which is the joint-third-best goal contribution record in the United squad.
For someone of his age, he’s not just displaying an output, but he's also taken on plenty of responsibility in the attack, and he’s already building a frightening partnership with Rasmus Hojlund.
Despite Garnacho being a fan favourite, there is one United star who’s shown consistency throughout this season.
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Erik ten Hag has been able to rely on the star all season.
ByTom LeverMar 5, 2024 Diogo Dalot’s 23/24 performances
The right-back position at Man United has been missing a permanent owner since the exit of Antonio Valencia, but this season, Diogo Dalot has developed into a fantastic full-back.
The Portuguese gem has been a frequent figure in the starting lineup, with his performances maintaining the same standard regardless of whether he plays at right-back or left-back. Even Ten Hag has been full of praise for the former Porto man, stating: "Everyone gets criticism but he is a fantastic player who is developing very well”.
Dalot has started 24 matches in the Premier League this campaign, with the only two matches he hasn’t started being the opener against Wolverhampton Wanderers and due to a red card.
Dalot’s performance against Man City further cemented that he’s been United’s “best player” this season, as per StatmanDave.
Tackles
3
Blocked shots
2
Clearances
3
Dribbled past
0
Duels won
9
Pass accuracy
80%
Successful dribbles
3/3
As you can see, Dalot was extremely dominant defensively against the often unstoppable Jeremy Doku, with the fact he wasn’t dribbled past once and the Belgian being subbed off first highlighting just how strong he was.
The 24-year-old also showed extreme composure on the ball, whether that was by keeping it simple or driving forward using his dribbling ability, as shown by his three successful tackles.
In truth, it’s possible to pick out multiple performances similar to the one at the weekend, which just proves how good Dalot – who was also dubbed the "best player" away at Nottingham Forest last week by Statman Dave – has been this season.