Most prolific U21 striker in Europe - How Rasmus Højlund made history in Man Utd revival

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Rasmus Højlund continued his stunning run of form as he became the youngster player in English Premier League history to score in six consecutive games. Højlund scored twice against Luton Town to bolster Manchester United's Champions League prospects as they extended their unbeaten run in 2024 to seven games. It took the Danish striker 14 games to register his first league goal - coincidentally against Villa - but he’s beginning to deliver on his undoubted potential.

Stats

R. Højlund Centre-Forward

Manchester United

Season 23/24–
Premier League

Games

20

Goals

7

Assists

2

An injury disrupted the 21-year-old’s acclimatisation at United following his €73.9m move from Atalanta last summer. It was a formidable challenge for such a young player to become the figurehead of the attack at one of the biggest clubs in the world but Højlund’s upturn in form has coincided with United’s recent improvement. His recent goalscoring form means he is now the third top goalscorer in all competitions from players aged 21 and under across Europe’s top five leagues with 13, just behind Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer. 

The staggering numbers behind Højlund’s recent form compared to start at United

Højlund missed United’s first three games of the season through injury before making his debut against Arsenal. While Højlund didn’t score in his first 14 games in the league, he was in excellent form in the Champions League, scoring five goals in six games despite United enduring a miserable campaign and finishing bottom of their group. The perplexity over Højlund stemmed from his inability to replicate his European form domestically and the numbers from his first 14 league games compared to his current six game scoring streak are startling. 

Højlund failed to register a goal contribution in those 14 games but confidence is now flowing through the young striker. The Dane has also recorded an incredibly impressive conversion rate of 64% during that run compared to 0% during his barren run and his xG is higher across his last six league games than his opening 14. Højlund is also attempting more shots per 90 mins and finding himself in better goal scoring positions as evidenced by his improved expected goals numbers. 

Why is Rasmus Højlund flourishing?

When assessing Højlund’s debut season, it’s imperative to consider how dysfunctional United’s attack has been. Manchester United have struggled to form a cohesive attacking unit this campaign and they rank sixth in the league for shots per 90 (12.17). United’s inefficiency in attack is also highlighted by ranking ninth for touches in the opposition box per 90 (20.41). United have massively underperformed on their xG this season in the league this season. They rank 9th with an xG of 43.12 and they’ve only scored 35 goals. 

It’s no coincidence that Højlund’s improvement has coincided with Erik ten Hag enjoying more consistent selection, especially in midfield and attack. The Dutchman has settled on a front three with Marcus Rashford flanking Højlund on the left, with Alejandro Garnacho on the right. Bruno Fernandes has been deployed in his preferred number 10 role with Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo providing increased stability in midfield. Højlund was starved of service earlier in the season and there was a complete lack of understanding between United’s attacking players with the Danish striker repeatedly ignored due to the selfishness of the wingers. The poor service from his attacking colleagues is a major factor behind behind Højlund only attempting 29 shots in the Premier League this season. To put this in perspective, Darwin Núñez leads the way for shots in the Premier League with 74, while Manchester City’s holding midfielder Rodri has had significantly more shots than Højlund with 45. At United, Fernandes leads the way for shots attempted while Rashford and Garnacho have both had more attempts than their colleague - a further sign that United's attacking players often ignore Højlund to shoot.

Why the future looks bright for Rasmus Højlund 

Højlund’s xG per90 this season is 0.38 but a promising sign for United is that his two highest xG returns have arrived in the last three games - 0.9 against Villa and 1.31 against Wolves. The hope will be United’s recent improvement and stability can enable Højlund to maintain his productivity. United have scored 17 goals across their last six games and there’s been promising signs from an attacking perspective after a dismal campaign. With United hunting down Tottenham and Aston Villa in the top four race, Højlund will be pivotal to their Champions League ambitions and Gary Neville compared him to Erling Haaland after the Luton win. "Højlund looked like Haaland in the making," Neville told Sky Sports. "It's his power, strength and his aggression when he's running - I really love that about a Manchester United centre-forward."