Casemiro made a mark in MU’s 3-0 victory over Bournemouth on the morning of January 4.
The Brazilian midfielder scored the opening goal in the 23rd minute of the “Red Devils” 3-0 victory over Bournemouth in the 19th round of the Premier League at dawn on January 4 (Hanoi time). Not a real striker, but the way Casemiro picked up Christian Eriksen’s cross and hit goalkeeper Mark Travers made MU fans jump from their seats and applaud.
After that goal, Casemiro also impressed with his aggressive play and was present in every hot spot on the field. No longer a player struggling to find a starting position, Casemiro has now adapted to the system of coach Ten Hag and has become an indispensable name of the “Red Devils”.
Casemiro sublime
ESPN identified Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Eriksen as impressive players at Old Trafford from the beginning of the 2022/23 season. But now, the main stage belongs to Casemiro.
In 16 matches the Brazilian midfielder started this season, MU kept 10 clean sheets. Before the match against Bournemouth, if Casemiro combined with Varane, the duo would help David de Gea not have to pick up the ball for 487 minutes in the Premier League.
Weak defense has caused problems at MU for more than a decade. The last-minute goals or mistakes of the players cost the “Red Devils” many times. But now, Casemiro and his teammates bring peace of mind to MU fans with a solid play.
Casemiro’s heat chart against Bournemouth. Photo: Squawka.
Squawka commented that “Casemiro was present in all the hot spots on the pitch when he met Bournemouth”. Statistics show that the former Real Madrid star has 84% ​​pass success rate, 70 touches of the ball, 3 successful disputes and 6 effective ball recoveries. This is the best statistic on the field of a “Red Devils” player.
Not only good at defense, Casemiro left a mark in his ability to pass the ball and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. Former midfielder Paul Scholes commented: “Casemiro’s passing ability amazes me, especially one-touch passes. He directs the ball a lot upwards. At Real, he is overshadowed when he plays with him. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos”.
Fans see the image of MU in the 2022/23 season through Casemiro, a player who started slowly but gradually adapted and made his mark in the Premier League.
MU is on the right track
Goal posed the question “Is it time for MU to think about competing for the championship”. This is a controversial point of view when the “Red Devils” are still 9 points behind the top team Arsenal. But with the goal of finishing the season in the top 4, coach Ten Hag’s army is on the right track.
Arsenal and Man City are still bright candidates for the Premier League title. But MU also showed signs of prosperity in the first period of the new year. “Red Devils” has now won the last 6 matches in all competitions and lost only one of the last 16 confrontations.
The victory over Bournemouth helped coach Ten Hag’s team have 35 points, equal to the third ranked team Newcastle but played one less game. The Old Trafford team is 5 points more than the 5th ranked team Tottenham. If showing the same performance as recently, the possibility of MU having tickets to the Champions League is possible. Of course, the “Red Devils” also need to avoid unnecessary defeats like the 1-3 defeat to Aston Villa in November 2022.
With Varane, Martinez and Casemiro, the “Red Devils” have three of the best defensive players in the league. MU’s current squad is having good psychological momentum and many key players are in good health. Key striker Marcus Rashford is also in good form after scoring in six consecutive games at Old Trafford.
In the context of the Glazer family looking for a potential partner to buy back MU, the unaffected performance on the pitch of the “Red Devils” is a good sign. Solidarity and high morale help teachers and coaches Ten Hag have more grounds to be confident in a successful season.
Duy Luan | 15:12 04/01/2023
