Erik ten Hag was full of praise for Rasmus Hojlund following his promising cameo despite the 3-1 defeat Manchester United suffered against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The Danish forward, who was brought on to replace Anthony Martial who seemingly struggled against the Arsenal defence, was physically dominant against Gabriel Maghalaes and seemed to provide United with that foothold in the game that they so desperately needed.
Hojlund didn’t start the game due to him not being fully match-fit. The Dane came on and immediately shrugged off Gabriel and immediately let the former Lille defender know he was in for a game.
Ten Hag, who was understandably seething following the offside goal against Alejandro Garnacho, was keen to point out just how well Hojlund, who United brought for £64 million, played.
Ten Hag’s reaction
The Dutch manager was not only keen to praise Hojlund’s impact but also the impact made by Anthony Martial, despite the Frenchman struggling to get involved in the game.
“I thought he was very good, he made a big impact,” Ten Hag said. “But, I also want to give credit to Martial, I thought he was very good, too. There are promising signs for us.”
Hojlund simply has to start after the international break and it seems the Danish forward has done all he can to show the manager he is ready to start games at Old Trafford.
Hojlund penalty claim
Interestingly, Ten Hag also believes that Hojlund was unfortunate to not receive a penalty following a tussle with Gabriel, although further viewing seems to indicate it was a 50/50 wrestle for the ball.
“(There was a) Foul on Hojlund in the penalty area, not even noticed by VAR,” Ten Hag said, according to Laurie Whitwell.
The positive signs are certainly there for United with the 20-year-old forward showing he can put himself about, although the penalty claim by Ten Hag seemed unlikely to be given.