Manchester United's lucky charm revealed 

Watford FC v Manchester United - Premier League
Jose Mourinho

What's the story?

Chris Smalling's new hairstyle might have drawn a host of mixed reviews, but his value to Manchester United is massive. In fact, his value is such that whenever he scores for the Red Devils, they always end up on the right side of the result. Hence, he is their new 'lucky charm.'

In case you didn't know...

After a stuttering start to the season, Jose Mourinho and co. have steadied the ship to a notable extent, having picked up consecutive victories over Burnley and Watford. They now have nine points from five matches.

The heart of the matter

Watford FC v Manchester United - Premier League
Smalling is a threat in the opposition box

In their recent fixture against the Hornets, Smalling eventually scored the winner after Romelu Lukaku had given United the lead. A corner was flicked by Fellaini to Smalling at the near post, who chested the ball and slotted it past Ben Foster like a center-forward. Although Andre Gray reduced the deficit with a fine finish, Mourinho's side held on to claim all three points and continue their resurgence.

Smalling began his sensational record way back in 2010, when he netted against Scunthorpe United. The Englishman has also waved his magic wand against arch-rivals such as Chelsea and Manchester City.

Courtesy of MEN Sport Go, we have a list of the matches Smalling has scored in.

22/9/2010, Scunthorpe 2-5 United (League Cup)

7/8/2011, United 3-2 Man City (Community Shield)

18/9/2011, Chelsea 1-3 United (Premier League)

27/11/2013, Bayer Leverkusen 0-5 United (Champions League)

26/12/2013, Hull 2-3 United (Premier League)

29/11/2014, United 3-0 Hull (Premier League)

11/2/2015, United 3-1 Burnley (Premier League, Smalling scored twice.)

11/2/2015, United 4-2 Man City (Premier League)

30/9/2015, United 2-1 Wolfsburg (Champions League)

22/2/2016, Shrewsbury 0-3 United (FA Cup)

2/6/2016, England 1-0 Portugal (International Friendly)

24/9/2016, United 4-1 Leicester (Premier League)

29/1/2017, United 4-0 Wigan (FA Cup)

18/11/2017, United 4-1 Newcastle (Premier League)

5/3/2018, Crystal Palace 2-3 United (Premier League)

7/4/2018, Man City 2-3 United (Premier League)

18/4/2018, Bournemouth 0-2 United (Premier League)

15/9/2018, Watford 1-2 United (Premier League

Video

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Take a look at Smalling's goals for Manchester United, including his winner at Vicarage Road this weekend.

What's next?

Chris Smalling will be looking to bag a couple of goals in the near future as Manchester United kick-start their Champions League season against Young Boys on 19 September, before travelling to Molineux to take on the in-form Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

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