"We broke them, but we didn't kill them," Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said after the goalless draw with Newcastle on Sunday. His team, who had 15 shots but only two on target, need to find their killer instinct soon or the progress made under the Dutchman will be in danger of stalling.
You don't need a sophisticated stats model to tell you United are a better team than they were last season. Any nervousness that Ten Hag might not be the right man for the job, prompted by those early defeats to Brighton and Brentford, has been eased by victories over Liverpool (2-1) and Arsenal (3-1) and a steady climb up the table to fifth spot.