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Jadon Sancho capped an excellent 45 minutes with a goal for Manchester United as they overcame Arsenal 2-0 in new Jersey this evening.
It was Sancho’s third pre-season outing for the Red Devils, all playing in the false 9 position, and whilst the first two were disappointing, he was on fire tonight.
With wholesale changes at half-time, Sancho only played 45 minutes but it was enough to impress.
The England man was quick to latch on to a loose ball toward the end of the half and leave the Arsenal defence for dead, smashing the ball into the roof of the net.
He also was effective on the ball, completing three out of three dribbles successfully.
His passing was not quite as efficient, but he did complete six out of nine attempted.
He was excellent in the press, which will please manager Erik ten Hag. He attempted nine ground duels and was successful in six of them.
Sancho drew four fouls.
On the minus side, he lost possession six times.
With 22 touches, Sancho was very involved in the 45 minutes he played.
(All stats from sofascore.com).
It is going to be a big season for the 23 year old. Having missed a chunk of last term for reasons Ten Hag described as “both physical and mental”, he came back to produce a mixed bag of performances that left his first team status in doubt.
A good pre-season could be the springboard he needs to build a good run and finally find his Borussia Dortmund form on a consistent basis in a United shirt.
