Christian Eriksen: Manchester United’s Saviour?

The Christian Eriksen story is one of the most amazing in football history and with Manchester United looking likely to sign him this summer, what can he bring to the Red Devils next season?

We have broken down his stats from his past five seasons, playing at Spurs, Inter Milan and Brentford, to see if he is still as effective now as he has been in the past.
Could Eriksen be the man to help take United to the next level next season? 

 

2017/18 (Tottenham Hotspur)

In 2017/18 Spurs were in great form, finishing in third place under Mauricio Pochettino. Eriksen played a huge role in their success too, oozing class whenever he stepped onto the pitch. 

His passing stats from the season show exactly what it means to be a top-quality attacking midfielder. Throughout the campaign, he was an ever-present threat, making 2.6 key passes and having 2.6 shots on target per game: a constant threat to any opposition. He rarely gave the ball away, too, with an 82.4% pass success rate. 

He contributed 10 goals and 10 assists in total, averaging 0.54 goal contributions per game. His average match rating was an extremely impressive 7.40, too. At that time, he was ranked as up there with the best midfielders in the world, valued at £72 million by Transfermarkt. 

Played: 37
Pass success rate: 82.4%
Key passes per game: 2.6
Shots per game: 2.6
Assists: 10
Goals: 10
Average match rating: 7.40

 

2018/19 (Tottenham Hotspur) 

Eriksen followed up that outstanding season with another in 2018-19, which saw Spurs once again at the top of their game, reaching the Champions League final. 

The Dane was a key player in the season, maintaining a high shot per game average with 2.4 and 2.1 key passes too, still with an 81% pass success rate. As well as that, he scored twice across two legs in the Champions League quarter-finals against Manchester City and was consistently good in the league, with an average game rating of 7.08. 

Eriksen scored eight league goals and assisted 12, making an average of 0.57 goal contributions per match. His transfer value increased too, to £90 million in January 2019. At 27 years old, he was in his prime. 

Played: 35
Pass success rate: 81%
Key passes per game: 2.1
Shots per game: 2.4
Assists: 12
Goals: 8
Average match rating: 7.08

 

2019/20 (Tottenham and Inter Milan)

However, the 2019-20 season saw the midfielder’s form drop, which ultimately resulted in him joining Inter Milan in January for what at the time was considered a cut-price £24.3 million deal. 

He remained a calm head in possession, with an 81.15% pass success rating. He was also still a threat going forward but only half as much as the previous season: making 1.35 key passes per game and 1.35 shots on target. 

Where he fell short was his conversion. Across his 37 games played in the Premier League and Serie A combined, he only made four assists and scored three goals, which is far below Eriksen’s usual standard of play. Along with those stats, his average match rating fell too, to 6.55.

The season was also filled with disappointment for Inter fans, as they missed out on the league title by one point. 

Played: 37
Pass success rate: 81.15%
Key passes per game: 1.35
Shots per game: 1.35
Assists: 4
Goals: 3
Average match rating: 6.55

 

2020/21 (Inter Milan)

Eriksen then played a full season at the San Siro, where he continued to struggle to create as many chances as he did at Tottenham. He averaged even fewer key passes and shots on target per game, making 1.2 of both respectively. However, where he did improve was his pass accuracy, rising to 87.3%. In 2020-21, Eriksen was seen as a player who could keep hold of possession, but he created clear-cut chances sparingly.

He scored only three goals and made zero assists across the campaign, which must have been extremely frustrating for a player of his quality. But he still had that characteristic calmness on the ball which has served him so well in his career.

In terms of match rating, this actually improved to an average of 6.69 per game. Perhaps it was because Eriksen was sitting slightly deeper in midfield that he didn’t make as many goal contributions as previously? But according to this stat, his performance improved overall. 

Ultimately, though, the Inter fans must have been happy with their team, who won the Serie A title by 12 points. I guess they didn’t need Eriksen’s assists after all?

Played: 26
Pass success rate: 87.3%
Key passes per game: 1.2
Shots per game: 1.2
Assists: 0
Goals: 3
Average match rating: 6.69 

 

2021/22 (Brentford)

It was in the summer of 2021 that Eriksen suffered a heart attack on the pitch at the European Championships, miraculously being resuscitated after being technically dead for five minutes. But, perhaps even more amazing than that was that just a few months later in February, he was back playing Premier League football with Brentford. 

He only played 11 matches for the Bees, but his fantastic performances are hailed as a big reason why they evaded relegation in their first season in the Premier League. 

Eriksen was back to his best in terms of creating chances, making 2.7 key passes per game and having 2 shots on target. He instantly transformed Brentford into a more threatening side going forward. He also once again passed with consistency with an 80.9% success rate.

He scored once and assisted four goals, averaging ¬¬¬0.45 goal contributions per game; which was monumental in Brentford’s season. Eriksen clearly just loves playing football in London. His average match rating shot up massively too, averaging 7.37 across the 11 games…it was simply an unbelievable comeback to football. 

If he can keep those numbers up in the 2022-23 season, he will be a huge asset for Manchester United and maybe he could help them push for a top-four spot to regain their Champions League status. 

Played: 11
Pass success rate: 80.9%
Key passes per game: 2.7
Shots per game: 2
Assists: 4
Goals: 1
Average match rating: 7.37