Top 5 Manchester United performers so far this season

Modified Oct 10, 2017 19:09 GMT

Manchester United have enjoyed a stellar start to the season and are joint-top of the Premier League, along with cross-town rivals Manchester City.

There is a long way to go yet in the season with a lot of trophies to play for, but José Mourinho’s men have done exceptionally well to turn things around from last year already.

Here are Manchester United’s five best performers so far this season:

#5 Henrikh Mkhitaryan

The Armenian had a troubled start to life at Manchester United last season, but he has hit the ground running emphatically this time around. The long embedding into the Premier League has, evidently, paid dividends for the attacking midfielder.

Mkhitaryan has recorded two goals and six assists in 10 appearances in all competitions so far this season, with most of them coming in the Premier League, a fine return from a player that is flourishing in Mourinho’s system this year.

#4 Phil Jones

It seemed the England centre-back would never live up to the early expectations, but he is certainly starting to change the opinions of his critics. He has always been a technically gifted player, but his problem was reliability.

Jones had a string of injuries which dented his match performances and game time, but now that he is back in the first-team and playing regularly and we are seeing the player Sir Alex trusted to get the job done at the back.

If Jones can stay fit throughout the season, he will be an integral part of Mourinho’s side. So far he has proven that he is fantastic on the ball while also intelligent to track runners and interpret the game in front of him.

#3 Anthony Martial

The French winger might have been left out for the majority of last season, but he has certainly made an impression on Mourinho this year. He has come into the season with the right attitude and is now reaping the rich rewards.

Five goals and six assists show a player that is bang in-form and playing at the elite level. He has assisted the most times in the Champions League after two games, as well.

Martial will be a pivotal player in United’s long-term future, and Mourinho could do with a tricky winger like him in the short-term. His dazzling footwork and accurate eye for goal show that he has talent in abundance. Martial must keeping playing to take his game to the next level. Consistency is key.

#2 Nemanja Mati?

Many Manchester United fans raised their eyebrows to Mourinho bringing in one of his former players, but he has proved everyone wrong yet again.

Mati? has been a sensational purchase and seems relatively cheap for £40m. He might be 28 years old, but he looks fresh and has been a dominating presence United’s midfield, allowing Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini to roam further forward (whenever the duo have played).

The Serbian sits just in front of the defence and dictates play from deep. There was a beautiful pass across Everton’s box to Antonio Valencia, who smashed it into the back of the net at the first time of asking. It was a beautiful assist.

Mati? must last the whole season, given United’s lack of defensive midfielders, but if he can carry on this level of performance, he will long be in the hearts of Man United fans.

#1 Romelu Lukaku

There are no surprises with Lukaku’s level of performance so far this season, which is why Antonio Conte desperately wanted him at Chelsea.

11 goals in 10 games suggest a centre-forward who knows where the back of the net is; the Belgian has been phenomenal so far and is only looking to get better and better.

Lukaku has enjoyed spearheading the attack, but one thing that has surprised most viewers is his link-up play. Seldom did we see it at Everton, but he integrates perfectly in this team and he already has a great understanding with his teammates.

There is no doubt more to come from Lukaku, but so far he has been immense. Even when he might be ‘quiet’ in the game, especially against Crystal Palace, he pops up and scores. A fantastic purchase for a very modest £75m in this current market.

Edited by Amit Mishra