There has been a quiet transformation at Manchester United this season that should give them great hope for the future. After they shipped four goals away against Brentford in their second match of the season, it felt like United were on course for another shambolic season at the back.
Eight months later, they are now a completely different beast in defence and have been quietly racking up clean sheets at an extraordinary rate.
The most recent of those was perhaps their most satisfying, with a comfortable win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend showcasing just how much progress they have made. Read next: What Fernandes told Keylor Navas after win Alarm bells were ringing following the news last week of Lisandro Martinez's season-ending injury and that Raphael Varane would also be sidelined for 'a few weeks'.
They are a world-class defensive pairing and have played a key role in United's resurgence this season, proving to be just as good as any other centre-back partnership in the Premier League.