Cristiano Ronaldo finished last season with 24 goals. Then, as Marcus Rashford mustered a mere five, it seemed fanciful to suggest he could be as prolific. Now, with three months of the current campaign remaining and Manchester United still in four competitions, Rashford is on 24 already. A brace took him to the best tally of his career. Carry on at the current rate and he will get closer to Ronaldo’s United best of 42 than anyone has in the subsequent 15 years.
Ronaldo’s 24 goals earned him a nomination for the PFA Player of the Year award. Whether or not Rashford’s tally secures him individual silverware, he is powering United into the title race. Five points behind Arsenal, with eight wins in 11 league games, they have form on their side. Even as Leicester City threatened to conquer fortress Old Trafford in a fine first quarter, they were instead defeated and dispatched. Erik ten Hag’s side now have 14 victories in their last 15 attempts on home turf. A 15th in 16 will eliminate Barcelona from Europe and, with Rashford in this form, it feels eminently feasible.
