After back-to-back opening-day defeats, Manchester United started the season much like they ended the last, with fans having little hope of the Red Devils finishing in the top four. Since those defeats, United have lost just twice, a 6-3 demolition at rivals Manchester City and a 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa. They beat league leaders Arsenal and rivals Liverpool and Tottenham. They were unlucky to walk away from Chelsea without all three points. Manchester United sit third in the Premier League, six points behind Arsenal and three points behind rivals their city rivals. 

Ten Hag came into the side which much work to do after the Red Devils endured one of their worst seasons in Premier League history. Key players like Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes were struggling for form, and Anthony Martial looked like a shadow of the player he was a few seasons ago. After the rocky start to the season, he’s got United playing beautiful football with Marcus Rashford in the form of his life this season, with his eight league goals being the most of any United player this season.  This has made fans wonder how Ten Hag improved this United side and put there in a decent position.

Many expected Ten Hag to tweak the way United played immediately, but the Dutch manager took his time to integrate his system with the team. In the past, United have been guilty of not doing the basics right, but they’ve done it perfectly under the new manager. United have carved out opposition brilliantly, especially teams sitting in a low block which is something they’ve struggled to do in the past.

Without the ball, United have also looked solid with Ten Hag implementing a rigid pressing system that reduces their opponents shot, creating action per game. These, with the brilliance of Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes and Rashford, have led to Manchester United’s improved display. Their 3-2 defeat at Arsenal at the weekend shows there’s still a lot of work to be done, but United fans can be proud of how much their team has improved this season.