Manchester United have recovered from a dire start to the season thanks in part to Erik ten Hag's decision to bench some big names.
Manchester United went into the international break on the back of a four-match winning streak – a run they had not matched since April 2021.
Few would have predicted that manager Erik ten Hag would oversee such a swift revival after kicking off his reign with two defeats, including a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Brentford.
Red Devils legend Gary Neville said the team played like 'Under-9s' during the loss as many other pundits suggested the club had finally hit rock bottom after nine years of mediocrity in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
However, a 2-1 home win against age-old rivals Liverpool turned the tide, and United appear to have rediscovered a distinct identity under the guidance of Ten Hag.
A sense of optimism is now building around Old Trafford, but who have been their standout performers? And which players look set to be victims of the revolution?
GOAL takes a look below…
(C)Getty ImagesBest player
There have been plenty of stellar performers during United's mini-revival, including former Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane, who finally looks in top physical condition after a strong pre-season.
Marcus Rashford is also starting to look like his old self, while the arrival of Casemiro seems to have inspired Scott McTominay to hit new heights.
Varane's new centre-back partner Lisandro Martinez, who joined the club from Ajax for £46.5 million ($53m) in the summer transfer window, has also impressed, along with fellow new signing Tyrell Malacia, but the biggest impact has been made by a certain Danish maestro.
Christian Eriksen was snapped up on a free transfer following his exit from Brentford, and has since provided United with the creative spark in the middle of the park that they have been missing for so long.
The 30-year-old is capable of running the show from a deep-lying role in a similar fashion to club legend Paul Scholes, and his composure on the ball and ability to lead by example has helped to bring the best out of his new team-mates.
AdvertisementGettyBest performance
United's confidence-boosting 2-1 triumph over Liverpool was an unexpectedly solid team performance that set the tone for what has come since, but Ten Hag's men reached an even higher level in their last Old Trafford outing.
Hard-fought 1-0 victories over Southampton and Leicester on the road set the Red Devils up perfectly for a home fixture against Arsenal, who arrived in Manchester as Premier League leaders boasting a 100 per cent record.
After an early VAR scare that saw a Gabriel Martinelli opener ruled out, United took the lead via a dream debut goal for £85m ($92m) new boy Antony – another acquisition from Ajax – to send the capacity crowd into delirium.
The Gunners responded strongly and Bukayo Saka eventually hit a deserved equaliser on the hour mark, but crucially, the hosts did not panic and remained patient for chances to counter.
Rashford finished off their two best opportunities to stun the Gunners and seal a statement victory for United that has led to some talk of them being potential dark horses for a first league title since 2012-13.
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United only have a modest total of eight goals to their name so far this season, with Bruno Fernandes grabbing the pick of the bunch to give them their narrow win at St Mary's.
The Portuguese showed off the finishing prowess that initially saw him emerge as a new Premier League star in his first full season at Old Trafford as he volleyed home a Diogo Dalot cross to cap off a flowing team move.
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Given we've already recognised Eriksen as the catalyst for United's upturn in fortunes, let's go with Martinez here.
He certainly deserves some plaudits. After all, the Argentine got off to the worst possible start, with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher going public with the most scathing criticism of the centre-half.
He told after United's humiliating loss at Brentford: "We should never judge managers or players too early, but I’m convinced this can’t work because he’s the size of 5’9 playing in a back four.
"He cannot play there in the Premier League. Every single team that play Manchester United… should target him. If they don’t, they’re crackers. I think [United] have got a huge problem.”
Martinez has since proven Carragher wrong with his subsequent four performances in the Premier League, striking up a solid partnership with Varane in the process, and if he can keep it up, then it's difficult to see a way back into Ten Hag's starting XI for club captain Harry Maguire.