Manchester United's last three match winners highlight their biggest issue this season

Few would have expected Manchester United to enter Sunday's derby in better form (results-wise) than Manchester City but three consecutive wins have made it so.

Erik ten Hag's side got the ball rolling in the Champions League with Tuesday's 1-0 victory over FC Copenhagen, although it was far from smooth sailing. The Danish side were well drilled, confident and undoubtedly the better side for much of the game until Harry Maguire's close-range header.

United almost found a way to throw victory away regardless, with Andre Onana forced into a heroic added-time penalty save after Scott McTominay was penalised for a high boot. He was ambushed by red shirts at full-time and the Old Trafford crowd sang for Maguire - who would have predicted that a month ago?

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It's hard to feel anything but happy for Maguire but that United were reliant on his goalscoring exploits in the first place speaks of a wider issue. Those whose role in the team is to score were largely ineffective, creating few high-quality chances and wasting those that came their way.

United have won their last three games but been far from convincing in any of them. A turgid affair at Sheffield United - quite clearly the worst team in the Premier League - last weekend was headed for a draw until Diogo Dalot curled an excellent effort past Wes Foderingham, who should have done better.

Before that, it was McTominay's turn to be the hero, in the right place at the right time to turn 1-0 into 2-1 in the blink of an eye at home to Brentford. And he only came on in desperation in the 87th minute.

If supporters were tasked to predict