Rasmus Hojlund arrival means Erik ten Hag can ditch unwanted Manchester United tactic

Rasmus Hojlund only played half an hour against Arsenal but his cameo had supporters excited.

His most memorable moment came when he wrestled with defender Gabriel, managing to hold him off before offloading to Bruno Fernandes to spark an attack. He offered more in that phase alone than Anthony Martial had since kick-off.

If fans are hopeful about Hojlund then they are miffed about Martial. The Frenchman has failed to complete a full 90 minutes in the Premier League since January 2021.

The frustration is compounded by the fact that the attacker has the capacity to produce. Last season, he averaged a goal contribution - be that assist or goal - every 120 minutes.

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The problem is, he was hardly on the pitch. He missed more than 30 matches, including the FA Cup and League Cup finals - United’s two biggest games of the campaign. As a result either January recruit Wout Weghorst had to lead the line or Marcus Rashford was shoved up front.

Weghorst scored just twice in 31 outings, and none in the Premier League, while Rashford has so often proved ineffective as the main striker. He recorded his best scoring tally last season and most of those goals came from the left wing.

With Weghorst gone and Martial injured for the first two matches of the season, Rashford was again forced to play as the main striker. When Martial came off against Nottingham Forest, he had to play there again.

His first goal of the season, against Arsenal a week ago, came when he was on the left, cutting back inside to bend home. His early-season frustration before the trip to London was also due to Hojlund’s injury.

The Dane arrived with a back problem which forced him out of the first