The paradox at Manchester United

Amorim's MU did a good job of building up play, but lacked efficiency.

Amorim's Manchester United are showcasing a flourishing attacking style of play. Statistics from the Premier League show that the "Red Devils" lead in expected goals, shots, shots inside the penalty area, touches inside the penalty area, and successful ball distribution.

Bryan Mbeumo adds speed and intelligent runs. Bruno Fernandes has 14 assists, leading the Premier League. However, paradoxically, both Mbeumo and Fernandes have only scored one goal and have not provided any assists since the start of the season.

Manchester United took many shots, but their conversion rate into goals was quite poor. They had 34 shots off target (the highest in the Premier League) with a conversion rate of only 5.71% (the third lowest in the league). MU lost to Arsenal and Manchester City because they failed to capitalize on their chances, despite creating many dangerous attacking opportunities.

Furthermore, Manchester United's defense continues to be a major problem that Amorim needs to address. The team has yet to keep a clean sheet this season. MU's Expected Goals Against (xGA) metric has increased from 1.45 last season to 1.73 this season, indicating they face numerous dangerous opportunities from opponents.

MU have better possession, averaging 56.17% this season compared to 53.52% last season. However, MU still allow opponents to freely penetrate their penalty area. Only five teams in the Premier League allow opponents to touch the ball in their penalty box more often than MU.

The MU paradox, image 1

Fernandes frequently lets opponents get away when playing in a deep midfield position.

The MU paradox, photo 2

Chelsea could exploit Manchester United's weaknesses because Enzo Fernandez is a master at penetrating the penalty area.

In particular, Fernandes has proven unsuitable for the deep-lying midfield role. He made mistakes leading to goals conceded in a similar fashion against Fulham and Man City. The "number 8" often loses concentration when out of possession, allowing opposing players to easily get past him and score.

This is a weakness that Chelsea can easily exploit. "The Blues" possess Enzo Fernandez, a master at penetrating the penalty area. He leads the Premier League this season in the number of incursions into the penalty box with 26.

Furthermore, MU is also weak in defending against set pieces. The "Red Devils" leave gaps in dead-ball situations and fail to maintain concentration throughout the 90 minutes.

MU's defense is also vulnerable due to the lack of a protective "shield" from the midfield. Amorim remains steadfast with the two-central-midfielder formation, despite opponents constantly exploiting this weakness with overwhelming attacks in the midfield area.

Clearly, the team's play under Amorim has improved, but if they don't address the issues of finishing chances and the defensive weaknesses, MU will struggle to achieve anything. Another defeat against Chelsea on September 20th would see Amorim leave Old Trafford.