Manchester United continue to exist on the brink of a form crisis as Erik ten Hag looks to ignite their Premier League season.
The Dutchman was handed a reprieve over the summer after an unexpected FA Cup final win over rivals Manchester City in the final game of last season, and he remains in place.
The club have backed him in the transfer market, with major signings arriving at Old Trafford, including Netherlands star Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna.
Zirkzee was brought in to add goals to United's attack, and he produced off the bench in their campaign-opening 1-0 home win over Fulham, but it was a brief spark.
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Old habits die hard, and United slipped to an added-time defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion over the weekend. It was the sixth time the Red Devils have lost an EPL game after the 90-minute mark under Ten Hag.
However, another late goal was not the only unwanted statistic United took back to Manchester, as Marcus Rashford's form continues to be a concern.
The England international has only managed 10+ EPL goals in one of the past three seasons and his start to 2024/25 appears to be following suit.
No goals in two starts, against Fulham and Brighton, is a problem, but the deeper numbers are even more worrying for Rashford.
He failed to register a shot on target in either game, the first time he has not tested the keeper in successive EPL games since October 2016, as he laboured against Stoke City and Liverpool.
That triggered a run of no goals in Rashford's next nine EPL starts for United, as part of a form spiral. Ten Hag will now be hoping it is not repeated ahead of a clash with Liverpool on September 1.
Rashford has scored five goals in 12 EPL starts against United's fiercest rivals and he found the net in their 4-3 FA Cup win over Jurgen Klopp's side last season.
