MX23RW : Monday, April 29 11:58:27| >> :120:11207:11207:

An analysis of Marcus Rashford's improved form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Rashford has five goals under Solskjaer and had only three under Jose Mourinho.

Marcus Rashford's prolific form under new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued with a goal in Manchester United's win over Brighton on Saturday.

Interim manager Solskjaer said Rashford is "playing the best football in his career" and "can be absolutely top class" after watching him score his fifth goal in six league games.

Here, Press Association Sport looks at Rashford's improvement using his scoring record and additional data from analytics company StatsBomb.

Goals and assists

Marcus Rashford, left, is embraced by team-mates after his winner against Tottenham
Rashford, left, is embraced by team-mates after his winner against Tottenham (Mike Egerton/PA)

Rashford quickly set the tone for Solskjaer's reign with a third-minute opener against Cardiff in the first game after the change of manager.

He was kept at bay by Huddersfield next time out but has scored in every game since, giving him five goals under Solskjaer compared to three this season with Mourinho in charge.

Rashford's assist for Paul Pogba's first goal in the 4-1 win over Bournemouth was his only one since Solskjaer took charge, compared to five this season under Mourinho.

Scoring chances

Looking at advanced data from StatsBomb, Rashford's increased effectiveness under Solskjaer becomes clear.

The 21-year-old has taken more shots, 26, in 502 minutes of football under his new manager than his 19 in 846 minutes under Mourinho.

That represents a shot every 19.3 minutes under Solskjaer compared to one every 45 minutes under Mourinho, and the quality of his chances has also improved in line with his switch to a more central position.

Marcus Rashford shot map 2018-19
(PA/StatsBomb graphic)

Using expected goals (xG), a method which seeks to calculate the chances of scoring from a given shot based on the striker's position on the field, the type of attempt and the defenders in his way, we can measure the returns on Rashford's opportunities.

His two shots per match under Mourinho were worth an average of 0.20xG per 90 minutes, equivalent to a goal every five games or roughly two in the 846 minutes he played prior to Mourinho's exit.

He over-performed that expectation by scoring three times and has continued to do so, with his 4.7 shots per game under Solskjaer worth an average of 0.54xG per 90, or three in the 502 minutes he has played – Rashford, of course, has five.

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Tom White, Press Association Sport Data Journalist');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '5ca70fe4-b606-45c9-b88b-6ba804e254a9');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:club-news,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:uk');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'An analysis of Marcus Rashford\u2019s improved form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer'});

ID:347492: cacheID:347492:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:8023:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Mohamed Salah in action for Liverpool on January 19, 2019
Read Next:
PL Team of the Week - Salah, Rashford, Sane
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City34247382325079
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs33186967521560
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3579194262-2026
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!