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#2 Juan Mata
Another attacking player who is struggling at Old Trafford right now is Spain’s Juan Mata. Once considered one of the most skilful and creative players in the entire Premier League, Mata’s poor form this season has seen him slip onto the periphery of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team, and he has now not started a Premier League game since the disastrous 1-0 loss to Newcastle at the start of October.
Mata’s productivity seems to have dried up entirely; he hasn’t registered a goal or an assist all season, his passing success rate has slipped from 89.5% in his first season at United to 83.5%, and his other attacking stats – shots per game, key passes – have fallen dramatically too. In fact, United have not scored in open play during his last 342 minutes on the pitch.
At 31 years old is it possible that the Spaniard has simply gotten old overnight? It definitely could be the case, as he does look practically glacial in comparison to United attackers like Daniel James and Marcus Rashford – but then pace was never one of Mata’s strong areas and he always coped before. Regardless, if he wants a future at Old Trafford he needs to turn around his form quickly.
