IFor years to come, Rasmus Hoylund may be recalling the conversation he had with Erik ten Hag before he broke a Premier League duck at his 15th try against Aston Villa on Boxing Day. “I pointed out that you scored a lot for Denmark and you scored in the Champions League, so you showed your ability,” the Manchester United boss recalled. “You can do it, believe in it and it will come. I’m sure the first goal has arrived now and there will be more.”
How that confidence is rewarded. In front of a crowd at Kenilworth Road, it took just 36 seconds for Hojlund to become the youngest player in Premier League history to score in six consecutive games, beating Ayrton at just 21 years and 14 days. Lin Harland et al. Henry and Van Nistelrooy broke Newcastle United’s previous record of 21 years and 272 days in the process. Less than six minutes later, the Danish striker took his tally to seven in his last six games after his dramatic winner against Villa helped transform United’s season under Ten Hag.
Despite causing a scare when Ross Barkley hit the crossbar in stoppage time, they managed to secure a fourth straight Premier League win and reignite hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League – although United’s familiar failings have plagued them at times. Their, inconsistent performance saw Luton refuse to admit defeat. But Hojlund’s performance brought about a stunning reversal in fortunes for the soft-spoken boy from Horsholm, a suburb north of Copenhagen.
Signed from Atalanta for £64m this summer more with hope than expectation, he has quickly developed into the player Ten Hag must be praying for and could potentially become Van Nistelrooy A worthy successor to Van Nistelrooy. A burgeoning relationship has blossomed with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, both of whom have excelled alongside him, even if they both squandered the chance to put the game well beyond Luton when Holland It certainly bodes well for the future as the Man addresses some of the team’s other big issues.
The writing on the wall for United against Luton dates back to March 1987, when Brian Stein and Mick Harford, still the club’s chief recruitment officer, lost 2-1 at United Score a goal in a winning match. Since then, they’ve won 11 of their past 13 games and seemed to have just one win with less than seven minutes to play.
Hojlund’s first goal was an example of his newfound ruthless streak, with Amari Bale messing up Casemiro’s long ball and passing the ball into a dangerous position. Hojlund had plenty to do before beating Thomas Kaminski, who later saved Luton from tight angles on several occasions. But his second goal was a purely instinctive moment, as Ganaccio’s shot from a corner went just wide of the post and Hoylund stretched out his left chest and calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net.
However, you can never take anything for granted against Luton. With leading scorer Elijah Adebayor injured during warm-up, head coach Rob Edwards was forced to make changes in the frontcourt, with Cauley Woodrow making his first Premier League start in nearly a decade. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he looked decidedly rusty, but it was his strike partner Carlton Morris who gave United’s defense – and Harry Maguire in particular – a boost in the first half. Endless questions.
Morris was quickest to react, pulling a goal back when former United youngster Jonta Hess had his shot blocked in the box, and then just before half-time Luton desperately needed an equalizer when Maguire’s agricultural challenge brought him down. The England defender may have breathed a sigh of relief after the break, as Casemiro was thankful he wasn’t shown a third after picking up Morris on the break after such a grilling. Two yellow cards.
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Alfie Doughty was inches away from equalizing on the stroke of half-time after Luton had complete control of Diogo Dalot on the left wing and United would have nothing to complain about if they had equalized. It’s never certain they’ll hold on to the lead, which is a big part of being a United fan these days, but the crowd behind Kaminski’s second-half goal was certainly filled with cheers as they watched their side squander countless chances. Breathing room for ten witches. “We’re not famous anymore,” said one of the Luton fans who had tried unsuccessfully to confront their rivals.
Hoylund looked utterly dejected when Kaminski thwarted Hoylund’s hopes of a third goal with a brilliant close-range one-handed save in the dying seconds. A hat-trick on his international debut for Denmark against Finland last March is believed to have helped convince United to take the plunge. On the evidence of the past few weeks, even if the add-on fee could rise to £72m, it could be a bargain.
