The Manchester United moment that summed up mentality change under Erik ten Hag

The power base in the Manchester United team feels like it is shifting. In recent weeks this is a team that has been unrecognisable from last season, less in style but more in attitude.

Only occasionally have we seen the glimpses of quality Erik ten Hag wants to bring in possession and the tactical shift remains a work in progress, with moments such as the stylish team goals against Southampton and Leicester City a taste of what's to come.

The real shift has been in terms of mentality. United were the team everyone wanted to play against last season, a soft touch under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.

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There was a feeling that United would always let the opposition play their own game and that they were rarely up for the fight if the going got tough. Under Ten Hag those days appear to be over.

United haven't hit top gear for any sustained length of time in the successive wins against Liverpool, Southampton and Leicester City, but they've built those victories on a commitment to defending and a desire to do the dirty work, going toe-to-toe physically with their rivals.

Rangnick regularly complained about United's lack of physicality last season, but there's a feeling this team might become horrible to play against. They've been missing that spikiness for too long.

Part of the change is a result in a change of personnel. Under Solskjaer this was a team built on homegrown players. This isn't a criticism of the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, but it's a British trait to be more reserved and it's inevitable that will often be seen on the pitch.

The axis has now tilted from building a domestic squad, which was Solskjaer's