Manchester United announced themselves as contenders in the Premier League title race with Saturday's impressive 2-1 win over arch rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford.
After falling behind to Jack Grealish's close-range header on the hour mark, United flipped the game on its head inside the final quarter of an hour, courtesy of goals from Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford. The win moved them to within a point of City in the table and, for just over 24 hours, to within six points of table-toppers Arsenal.
The Gunners, of course, reopened their commanding lead at the top with Sunday's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby, meaning they are now eight points ahead of City and nine points ahead of United, respectively. However, the Reds can reduce the gap to six points with another three-point haul against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Wednesday evening, ahead of facing Mikel Arteta's side on Sunday.
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Should United beat Palace, they will travel to the Emirates Stadium at the weekend with the knowledge that a victory will firmly cement their place in the race for the top step on English football's podium. In the event of that happening, United will deserve enormous praise, just as they already do, especially when their main aim at the start of the season was just to get into the top-four, regardless of how they did it.
The Reds' impressive start to life under Erik ten Hag, despite experiencing the odd bump in the road along the way, has been built on a collective effort and everyone buying into his philosophy. He has restored discipline and ended the player-power era at Old Trafford.
But even though United's fortunes this term have significantly improved as a result of a collective effort throughout the club, countless members of Ten Hag's squad have also raised their individual performances and made significant improvements. Rashford, of course, is the player that has earned much of the plaudits in that sense, becoming the poster boy of the Reds' resurrection this season.
He has netted 16 goals in all competitions and has scored eight times in his last seven matches since the campaign resumed following the World Cup pause, meaning he is currently enjoying, arguably, the best run of form he has experienced during his career so far. Ten Hag has restored his confidence and it has resulted in him raising his performance levels significantly, so much so that he has even been mentioned in the same breath as France star Kylian Mbappe.
Rashford, though, is not the only player to have made significant strides this season, with several other members of the squad, who were already at Old Trafford prior to Ten Hag's arrival, kicking-on and flexing their muscles. The likes of David de Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Fred and Alejandro Garnacho have all improved this season in their own right.
De Gea, though question marks remain about his ability with his feet, has gone about his business with very little fuss, keeping 12 clean sheets in all competitions this season. Dalot, though he has spent time on the treatment table in more recent weeks, has established himself as a key player in Ten Hag's plan. Wan-Bissaka, in Dalot's recent absence, has proven that he could still have a future at Old Trafford, raising his all-round game. Varane has rediscovered the levels he so frequently hit at Real Madrid, becoming a stalwart figure in the heart of the defence.
Shaw has been as solid as a rock, proving equally capable at centre-back as he is at left-back in a surprise position change. Fred has gone up through the gears, demonstrating what he brings to the table. Garnacho, who supplied Rashford for the winner against City, has made significant strides in a very short space of time, becoming one of the most highly-rated youngsters in the Premier League.
But as surprising as some of the improvement in some individuals has been, not least Dalot's importance to the way United play and Rashford's renaissance, Ten Hag has a reputation for improving most players he gets the opportunity to work with, certainly in the eyes of Antony. The winger, who joined United from Ajax during the summer, waxed lyrical about the Dutchman's ability to improve just about every player he coaches.
"Every player under his guidance becomes a better footballer through his training," Antony told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf during his time in the Netherlands. "Since my arrival, he has given me a lot of confidence and believed in what I can do."
Antony was correct, wasn't he? The improvement in several individuals has been astounding so far this season. Ten Hag deserves huge credit for the work he has put in so far this season, both with the team as a collective and with individuals.
United, regardless of whether or not they do feature prominently in the title conversation in the coming weeks, have made significant improvements this season, proving they were right to choose Ten Hag as their next permanent manager. He has made the Reds great again and given countless individuals a stage to showcase their talents to the world again.
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