The 28 Manchester United stats that leave us confused…

* Manchester United rank sixth in the season statistics for shots, shots on target, passes, touches, possession and pass completion.

 

* Manchester United (7) take fewer shots per game from inside the penalty area than Crystal Palace (7.1) and five other clubs.

* …but United do score twice as many penalty area goals (1.2) per game than Crystal Palace (0.6) and more than both Tottenham (1.1) and Chelsea (1) from the top six.

 

* Manchester United (5.3) take fewer shots per game from outside the penalty area than Newcastle United (5.6) and five other clubs.

* …but no team scores more goals per game (0.4) from outside the penalty area.

 

* Of the top six, only Manchester City (16%) have a better shot conversion rate than Manchester United (14.2%). That puts them way ahead of Chelsea (10.58%), Arsenal (11.76%) and Tottenham (11.8%).

 

* Anthony Martial has the best conversion rate (20.93%) among Manchester United’s top five scorers, ahead of Romelu Lukaku (18.75%), Jesse Lingard (16.66%), Marcus Rashford (11.76%) and Paul Pogba (8.33%).

* …but Martial has started fewer than half of United’s Premier League games this season.

 

* Paul Pogba has taken 61.7% of his shots from outside the penalty area this season.

 

* Top scorer Lukaku takes fewer shots per 90 (2.7) than Rashford (3.1), Pogba (3) and Martial (2.8).

 

* Only four clubs – Huddersfield Town, West Ham, Swansea and Everton – have taken fewer shots from set-piece situations this season.

* …but no other club scores more set-piece goals per game than Manchester United (0.4).

 

* Thirteen other Premier League clubs attempt more headed shots than Manchester United (1.8) per game.

* …but only Chelsea (0.5) and Arsenal (0.4) score more headed goals per game than United (0.3).

 

* No Premier League team creates fewer chances from Opta-defined ‘long passes’ per game than Manchester United (1.1).

 

* Only four teams – Newcastle United, Huddersfield Town, Swansea and Arsenal – create fewer chances per game from crosses than United (2.0).

 

* No team creates fewer chances per game direct from corners than Manchester United (0.4).

 

* United have scored just one goal directly from a corner all season – in August when Marcus Rashford volleyed home Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s corner.

 

* Manchester United’s ‘key pass per 90’ leader is still Henrikh Mkhitaryan with 2.7. Next comes Juan Mata with 2.3.

 

* Only Burnley (23.8) and Bournemouth (22.8) attempt fewer tackles per game than Manchester United (24.2).

* …but only six clubs have committed more fouls this season.

 

* Manchester United allow more shots per game (11.8) than seven other Premier League teams, including Watford (11.1) and Huddersfield Town (11.4).

* …but only Manchester City have conceded fewer goals this season.

* … because David De Gea has the highest save percentage rate in the Premier League this season with 79.7%.

 

* Manchester United spend an average of 27% of their Premier League matches in their own third of the pitch – equal to the record of Huddersfield, Chelsea, Watford and Southampton. For comparison, Manchester City spend 22% of their matches in their own third.

 

* Alexis Sanchez has been dispossessed (tackled by an opponent without attempting to dribble past them) more times in nine appearances (29) than Marcus Rashford (24), Juan Mata (19) and Jesse Lingard (14) all season.

 

* Alexis Sanchez has lost the ball with a poor touch more times in nine appearances (25) than Juan Mata (22) all season.

 

* Manchester United are second in the Premier League.

Sarah Winterburn