Having defeated Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, Manchester United moved one step closer to securing their spot in the Champions League for next season. It would take a major collapse for the Reds to finish outside of the top four at this point, but Erik ten Hag will be urging his players to remain focused.
Bruno Fernandes did well to squeeze his strike past Emiliano Martinez in the Villa goal to give United a much-needed win, and while there was a lack of real quality in the game, the home side simply got the job done. The Reds still find themselves behind Newcastle in the Premier League table, however, Ten Hag's men have a game in hand on the Magpies.
It was certainly not United's most convincing win at Old Trafford this season, but the Reds found a way to record their 12th home victory over the campaign. Given that Ten Hag's side were beaten at home by Brighton on the opening day of the season, their overall record at the Theatre of Dreams since then is something to shout about.
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As per Squawka, since the Reds lost to the Seagulls on matchday one, they have picked up 39 points out of a possible 45 at Old Trafford in the Premier League - an 80 per cent win rate.
United still have three home matches to come before the end of the season, but Ten Hag's side have already picked up 12 victories from their first 16 games at Old Trafford. They have only lost once - against Brighton - and have conceded just eight goals. This is three better than Eddie Howe's side, and eight better than current league leaders Manchester City.
Only Pep Guardiola's men have recorded more wins from their home games, while Arsenal have managed the same number as the Reds this term. The last time that United managed 12 or more victories at home was in the 2017/18 season. In that campaign, the Reds won 15 of their 19 games at Old Trafford - once again finishing behind City on that front.
Ten Hag's side sitting comfortably in fourth position is largely down to their impressive record at home, especially considering they have won just seven of their 16 away matches. United will back themselves to go on and finish inside the top four this season, and should they manage to do that, their ability to have picked up wins in front of the Reds faithful will have played a crucial role.
One of the most impressive things about United under Ten Hag is the way they can turn losses into draws and draws into victories - even when it appears unlikely. Their lack of defeats is notable, but the fact the Reds have only drawn on three occasions shows there is a determination to turn one point into three as often as possible.
Under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the first half of last season - and Ralf Rangnick in the latter stages - United won 10 of their 19 games at home. Having already achieved more victories so far in Ten Hag's debut campaign as manager, the Reds have shown they are on their way to turning Old Trafford into a fortress once again.
There is a general consensus that United are still some way from challenging for the Premier League title, but if they are to get back to that level, being comfortable at home is vital. The division's current top six teams all sit in the top six places when it comes to points accumulated at home, while the away form, on the other hand, is more varied.
United's record at Old Trafford is even more impressive when you consider they have only scored 28 goals at home this season. When you compare that with the likes of City (54), Arsenal (45) and Liverpool (43), it shows Ten Hag's men have found a way to secure narrow victories, often playing without a natural goalscorer.
With the Reds targeting a new striker in the summer transfer window, Ten Hag will be hopeful of significantly improving the number of goals his side score - both at home and away from Old Trafford. If United had managed even 10 more goals at this point in the season, it would be really interesting to see what impact it would have had on the table.
It would be wrong to say Ten Hag has 'solved' United's home form because the Reds are, typically, a strong side at home. Yet, given he has recorded an 80 per cent win rate since losing to Brighton on the opening day of the season, the Dutchman deserves praise for the changes he has made since walking through the door.
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