Exactly 12 months ago today Manchester United registered their final away win of the 2021/22 season, beating Leeds United 4-2 at Elland Road.
It was a victory that kept them fourth in the table, albeit a whopping 17 points behind leaders Manchester City at the summit. They won just three more matches before the curtain fell on a forgettable campaign at Selhurst Park on May 22.
Twelve months on from that rain-soaked victory in West Yorkshire, United's fortunes and the mood around the whole club could not possibly be any different. Not only did Sunday's 3-0 win over Leicester City at Old Trafford significantly tighten their grip on a top-four spot, but it also moved them to within five points of league leaders Arsenal and just three points behind City in second.
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Though some supporters are still hesitant about getting involved in title chatter, the reality is that Erik ten Hag's men are in the title race, even if they are outsiders. They are now closer to Arsenal at the summit than they are to Tottenham Hotspur, who leapfrogged Newcastle United in the table on Sunday, in fourth.
As convincing as the scoreline looked on Sunday afternoon, United, certainly in the first half, had to work hard for all three points. David de Gea was twice called into action, producing two outstanding saves to deny both Harvey Barnes and Kelechi Iheanacho, ahead of Marcus Rashford opening the scoring.
After the break, however, the Reds, inspired by Jadon Sancho's introduction from the bench, had a much more composed look about themselves, dominating the game and looking as though they would score every time they got in and around the Leicester penalty area. Once Rashford netted his second of the afternoon to claim his 24th goal of the season there was only going to be one winner.
But even though Rashford's brilliance is often at the very heart of United's good fortune these days, a great deal of credit must be sent in the direction of De Gea and the defensive line in front of him. Despite Ten Hag choosing to make three changes to the back-four that started against Barcelona in Spain just under 72 hours earlier, it, after weathering an early Foxes storm, was largely untroubled, dealing with everything that came its way.
The win marked De Gea's and United's tenth Premier League clean sheet of the season, meaning they have already kept two more shutouts in the league than they managed in the whole of last season. The Reds were a defensive calamity last term, conceding 57 times in the league alone, meaning their goals conceded column of 28 this time around makes much more impressive viewing.
Of the ten clean sheets United have registered in the league this season, six of them have come at Old Trafford. By comparison, they only chalked up five clean sheets in the league on their own patch in the whole of last season.
United's much-improved defensive standards under Ten Hag has meant that their home form has significantly benefitted as a result. The win over Leicester marked the Reds' ninth home win in 12 league outings this season, taking their tally of points won in M16 to 29. Only City have racked up more (31) on their own patch this term.
By comparison, United won just ten of their 19 home league games last season, meaning they collected just 35 points. With another seven home games still to play, United, with the way they have turned Old Trafford back into one of the most feared grounds to visit on the Premier League circuit, should smash through that barrier with ease.
Not only have United been much more efficient in getting the job done at home this season, they have also been much harder to score against. They have the joint-best home defensive record in the Premier League this term, conceding just eight goals along with Chelsea and Newcastle United. They shipped 22 goals at home last season.
Considering United have not been prolific scorers this term, they have had to ensure their back-four has been strong and reliable. They have become well-organised, hard to beat and, for the most part, defensively sound, highlighted by the fact only Newcastle have kept more clean sheets (12) in the league this term.
Working hand in hand with their impressive defensive record, United's ability to have turned Old Trafford back into a fortress has resulted in them being able to make significant progress in a very short space of time under Ten Hag. He has corrected two major flaws and used them as the bedrock of the club's resurrection.
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