Rasmus Hojlund: Decoding his stats for Manchester United this season
Rasmus Hojlund is slowly finding his feet at Manchester United after not being consistent enough. Hojlund, who scored for his side in the 3-0 win over West Ham on matchday 23 of the 2023-24 Premier League season, now owns five goals in six games across competitions for the Red Devils while scoring in four consecutive Premier League fixtures. Here we decode Hojlund's stats.
Rasmus Hojlund scripted these feats on his 21st birthday
As per Opta, Hojlund is only the second player to score on his 21st birthday in the Premier League. He now shares this unique record with Noel Whelan in December 1995. He also became the youngest player to score in four consecutive Premier League appearances for Manchester United.
Goals in four consecutive Premier League appearances
Hojlund scored his first Premier League goal against Aston Villa. He also slammed home a goal against Tottenham Hotspur in a 2-2 draw. The Danish forward netted in Manchester United's thrilling 4-3 win over Wolves and next versus West Ham.
Youngest player to score and assist in consecutive PL games
Hojlund scored and assisted against Tottenham and Wolves, becoming the youngest player to score and assist in consecutive Premier League appearances. As per Statman Dave, Hojlund, at the age of 20 years and 362 days, Hojlund became the youngest player to score and assist in consecutive Premier League games. He surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo, who was 21 when he registered this record.
Decoding his numbers from the 2023-24 Premier League season
The youngster has netted four goals in 18 appearances in the 2023-24 Premier League (A2). He has created 15 chances. He has attempted 21 shots (excluding blocks) while 15 attempts were on target. The Danish forward has completed 167 out of 211 passes, clocking 79.15% passing accuracy. He has won 11 aerial and 39 ground duels. Hojlund has also completed 12 take-ons.
A look at his overall stats this season
Hojlund has scored 10 goals (A2) in 28 appearances in all competitions this season. In six UEFA Champions League appearances, Hojlund went on to hammer five goals as United bowed out, finishing last in their group. Meanwhile, has returned with a solitary strike in two FA Cup matches. The 21-year-old didn't open his account in two Carabao Cup fixtures.
Hojlund scripted this record in the Champions League
Earlier in the season, Hojlund became the first player to score five in his first four UEFA Champions League appearances for Manchester United. He was aged 20 years and 277 days when he became the youngest player to score twice in an away Champions League fixture for United. He scored twice against his former club FC Copenhagen but United still lost the game 4-3.
A unique Premier League feat for the Dane
Earlier in the campaign, Hojlund joined a unique list of players who have failed to score in their first 14 or more Premier League appearances and then scored in their next three league outings. He joined the likes of Whelan (first 17, 1993-94), Carlos Tevez (first 16, 2006-07), and David Nugent (first 18, 2007-08). Hojlund failed to score in his first 14 PL games.
Manchester United signed Rasmus Hojlund for £72m
United had earlier completed their third signing of the 2023 summer transfer window by landing Hojlund from Atalanta. United manager Erik ten Hag was desperate to add a striker and identified the young Danish international. The deal for Hojlund was worth an initial £64m, plus £8m in performance-related add-ons. He signed a five-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.
