Joshua Zirkzee showed no striker’s instinct in loss to Everton | OneFootball

Manchester United suffered a night to forget when they lost 1-0 to Everton at home.

While losing at Old Trafford is embarrassing enough, what made this defeat even more bitter was the fact that the visitors were a man down since the 13th minute, thanks to a red card, meaning that Man United completely failed to make the most of their numerical advantage.

Statistically, it was one-way traffic, with United taking a massive 25 shots compared to just three from Everton. Still, they seemed unable to show any effectiveness up front, with one player in particular struggling in this regard.

A night to forget

This was a crucial match for Joshua Zirkzee, who was starting a match for the first time this season.

Although he was in desperate need of a decent performance in order to gain Ruben Amorim’s favour, he failed to deliver.

Zirkzee’s passing was scrappy at best, with only 15 of 25 passes finding their target (60% accuracy).

On the bright side, he made two key passes, which included one big chance. He also completed his only cross of the match.

He won just one of two ground duels, although his aerial game was better – he won three of four aerial battles.

The Dutch forward attempted to assist his team in defence as well, making one clearance and an interception. He also completed three recoveries.

Performance up front

Despite some bright spots in his midfield and defensive game, Zirkzee was brought in for his attacking capabilities.

Sadly, he seemed to lack any striker’s instinct.

Zirkzee got two shots on target, although neither seemed to rattle the keeper too much.

He also attempted two headers – one off a cross from Luke Shaw and another courtesy of Kobbie Mainoo. Both attempts were flicked wide despite being from close range.

He ultimately missed two big chances, outlining how costly his mistakes truly were to United.

Ultimately, it was a huge missed opportunity for Zirkzee. While he would have wanted to prove his worth during Benjamin Sesko’s absence through injury, this performance seems unlikely to convince Amorim that the Dutch forward is up to the task of leading United’s front line.

(Stats via Sofascore)

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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