Pundits want to see more of Mkhitaryan at United

Joe Williams

Paul Scholes and Michael Owen are in agreement that Henrikh Mkhitaryan needs to be starting more matches for Manchester United following his performance on Thursday night.

The Red Devils are through to the last 32 of the Europa League after defeating Zorya Luhansk 2-0 courtesy of goals from Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Mkhitaryan opened the scoring with a brilliant individual effort and Owen was particularly impressed by the Armenian international.

When asked on BT Sport if Mkhitaryan should start over the weekend, Owen replied: “Yeah I’d say so. He would be my first choice in one of those three positions”

“Of course you go Ibra up top but the three in behind whether its left, right or middle, I think he goes in as my first choice”

“Mata’s had a fantastic season… you’ve got the pace of Rashford, you’ve got the experience and the quality of Rooney.

“You’ve got so many options, Lingard, Martial, but I think Mkhitaryan would go in first if it was me.”

On Mkhitaryan’s goal, Owen said: “It was a brilliant run by Rooney but you can’t talk about this goal without waxing lyrical about Mkhitaryan.

“You get a sense now he’s off and running. He’s played in the first team, he’s started playing really well and now he’s scored his goal, and it was a really good goal as well, what a goal to open your account.”

And fellow pundit, Scholes, agrees with Owen and reckons Mkhitaryan’s pace gives him the edge over Juan Mata.

“Yeah I must admit, three or four weeks ago I thought it’s only a matter of time you get him playing and he will start producing an we’re seeing that now,” said Scholes.

“And what he has different from Mata is that little bit of pace. Mata’s got the trick, has he quite got the pace to go past people? I don’t think he has.

“I think Mkhitaryan’s got the trick, he’s got the pace to go past people and produce what he did tonight.”