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Manchester United left it late in their bid to secure a passage to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup on Wednesday, but quickfire goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Fred in injury time helped set up a 3-1 victory for the Red Devils against a sturdy West Ham side at Old Trafford.
The 20-time English Champions have been on a goal-scoring rampage in recent months under new manager Erik ten Hag.
United have a whopping 53 goals in their tally since the disappointing 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa on November 6, outscoring their closest rivals in English football by some distance.
By comparison, their noisy neighbours Manchester City have managed 39 goals, while Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool have scored 30, 24, and 25 respectively in the same time period.
Chelsea, under new manager Graham Potter, have been the worst of the supposed ‘big six’, scoring a paltry six goals.
This impressive feat is a testament to the tactical acumen and attacking prowess of Erik ten Hag, who has managed to transform United into an unstoppable force in the final third.
The Dutchman, who previously managed Ajax, is renowned for his attacking philosophy and seems to have found it a perfect fit with United’s youthful front line.
Ten Hag’s impact on the team has been nothing short of remarkable.
He has managed to get the best out of the likes of Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, and Fred, players who were much maligned for their performances last season.
Rashford in particular has been in scintillating form in recent months, and the fleetfooted Englishman already has 25 goals to his name this term, with a large chunk of the season to go, a massive improvement on the 5 goals he scored in the whole of last season.
The team’s attacking fluency and cohesion has been a joy to watch, with goals coming from all areas of the pitch.
United’s impressive run of form has put them in a strong position in the Premier League, with the team currently sitting in third place, six points behind second placed City, with a game in hand.
Having emerged victorious in their hard fought two-legged affair against Barcelona, the Red Devils are also through to the latter stages of the UEFA Europa League, where they will now face Real Betis in the round of 16.
The future looks bright for United under the guidance of Erik ten Hag, who has already made an incredibly significant impact in an unthinkably short span of time.
If they can maintain their impressive attacking form and continue to keep tight at the back, United could be a force to be reckoned with both domestically and in Europe, sooner rather than later.
