Reaction to Wout Weghorst's Manchester United debut at Crystal Palace was lukewarm to say the least.
While it did not set the world alight like many would have hoped, it was perfectly serviceable for the role that Weghorst is playing at Old Trafford between now and the end of the season. United's hopes of signing a 20 or 30-goal-per-season striker in January were already slim before taking into account what the market is like and the budget available.
No club, unless there has been a falling out, is willing to part ways with a key player halfway through the campaign, so it made sense for the Reds to find a stopgap who can play as a back-up to Anthony Martial. While in an ideal world, you would have Martial starting against Arsenal, Erik ten Hag must work with what he has.
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Fortunately, what Ten Hag has at his disposal is a striker who possesses a quality which could serve the Reds well in North London. Weghorst may not have had numerous shots at goal, forcing the 'keeper into several saves in midweek but what he did showcase was his hold-up play.
At his height, you would expect the Dutchman to be strong and have the ability to hold off defenders, however he also showed that he has more in his locker than being just a target man. Weghorst showed that he was capable of not only holding the ball up but also bringing his fellow forward players into the attack.
If he is able to reproduce this against Arsenal it could be the difference between victory and defeat. Unfortunately, United must come to the realisation that they will have less of the ball than their hosts at the Emirates.
Against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, they controlled the possession and made Spurs' life a misery. Therefore, United cannot afford to give possession straight back to their opposition when they do have the ball.
Having a player like Weghorst up top should alleviate the pressure and at that stage the Reds should be able to get the likes of Marcus Rashford more involved in the match. There is a route to victory in North London and it may all depend on the 30-year-old's ability to recreate what he showed snippets of against Crystal Palace.
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