Try as defenders might, there is simply no stopping Marcus Rashford right now.
The Manchester United academy graduate bagged his 10th goal in his last 10 appearances on Wednesday night, scoring the Reds' opening goal in their 3-0 Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Picking the ball up inside his own half, Rashford motored forward down the left-wing, moved inside, beat a couple of Forest defenders and planted a sweet left-footed effort past Wayne Hennessey with ease.
It was the kind of goal you would expect from a player who's performing at the very peak of his powers. The 25-year-old is continuing to go from strength-to-strength right now and it is becoming almost impossible to take your eyes off him.
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He has now scored 18 goals in all competitions this season, a whopping 13 more than he managed in the whole of last term, highlighting the resurrection he has experienced under manager Erik ten Hag's coaching methods. Of his 18 goals so far this season, there have been a wide variety of finishes, ranging from outstanding solo efforts to the bullet header he planted past West Ham United goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski for his 100th goal in United colours back in October.
The best way to gauge the quality of a goal, however, could be to look closely at the supporters of the team who has just conceded. As you would have seen if you had happened to have looked closely enough, Rashford's outstanding opener at the City Ground was greeted by a round of applause from one Forest fan sitting in the Trent End behind the goal.
Although the individual wasn't quite brave enough to stand up and applaud the moment of brilliance he had just witnessed, he did sit and gently clap. That was the sign of someone who recognised the quality of another brilliant Rashford goal, as the forward raced away to celebrate his fifth Carabao Cup strike of the campaign, taking him to the top of the scoring charts in the competition this season.
The way that Rashford carried the ball up the pitch, got the better of Forest's defenders with relative ease and finished so emphatically on his weaker foot was the sign of a player who has been reborn. Ten Hag, who, in the build-up to the clash with Forest, described United as "the best place" for the England international to continue his career, has transformed the versatile forward in next to no time.
He has injected fresh confidence into him and transformed his way of thinking. On current form, you would argue there are very few in the world that are better than him right now.
Rashford, who looked disinterested and lost for much of last season, so much so that genuine concerns about his welfare were raised, has never looked so determined to succeed. Ice is flowing through his veins and you expect him to score every time he steps out onto the pitch.
United, as proven by the fact they are now only 90 minutes away from their first domestic cup final in five years, have been transformed in more ways than one by Ten Hag this season, but the resurrection of Rashford ranks among the Dutchman's biggest accomplishments so far. In many ways, such is the level Rashford is currently performing at, he has been like a new signing.
But while there is no denying that United still need fresh faces to help take them to greater heights under Ten Hag, the way that he has got Rashford performing again ought to inject encouragement and confidence into everyone associated with the club that the former Ajax boss can develop and improve anyone within his squad. The likes of Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, for instance, provide further evidence for Ten Hag's case on that particular score.
Ten Hag, as recently as after Sunday's 3-2 defeat at Arsenal, admitted that he wants to improve United through the method of coaching, as opposed to just chucking millions of pounds at the transfer market and hoping something sticks. Rashford's sensational run of form justifies his manager's approach, with both he and United benefitting.
United knew that they had to source a world-class, elite-level coach after the disastrous ending to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tenure and Ralf Rangnick's underwhelming stint in charge. Rashford is proving that they've found one.
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