Anthony Elanga: Man Utd’s unlikely hero for the present and future

The young Swede has made great strides in his Manchester United career thus far and has fit Ralf Rangnick’s methods like a glove.

Few would have expected Manchester United’s season to crumble as it has done at this point. After the high-profile arrivals of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and most crucially, Cristiano Ronaldo, it was expected that the good times would return to Old Trafford once again, however, the opposite has been the case thus far. 

Amidst the chaos and disappointing performances, the displays of one player in particular have generated some cause to be optimistic. Youngster Anthony Elanga has stepped up into the senior setup since the appointment of Ralf Rangnick in early December last year.  

The winger has shown sparks of real quality and is now firmly ahead of his peers in the position for a place in the starting XI. Where other players are still acclimatizing to Rangnick’s methods, Elanga has embraced the change seamlessly from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to the German’s tactical ideology.

He is well-suited to Rangnick’s idea of high-energy football and there is clearly a natural space in the system for someone with Elanga’s profile. But what makes him such a good fit?

Supporting Ronaldo

It’s no secret that Cristiano Ronaldo is ageing and for all the goals that he has managed to bring to the team this season, it’s clear that his athleticism and ability to cover ground at pace has reduced significantly. Which means that there is a lack of defensive contribution expected from him and this is where players like Elanga are bridging the gap.

When ranked against his positional peers in the U21 age bracket in the Premier League, Elanga is only behind Everton’s Anthony Gordon for pressures attempted, tackles and interceptions per90 in the league.

Clever movement in attacking positions 

Not only is Elanga hard-working in and out of possession, he is also clever in his movements in and around the opposition penalty area. 

Signs of this movement were already visible away against Wolves in a 2-1 victory on the final day of the season. A thumping header to connect with a cross from the left, and showing movements of a number nine in the box. 

He isn’t a nine though, and should not be considered as such. Elanga’s directness remains his greatest asset and the fact that he combines that with encouraging end-product is even better. 

This season, although he has scored just twice in 16 appearances, his underlying numbers suggest there is cause to be pleased with his progress and his displays thus far this season. 

Elanga has averaged a npxG p90 tally of 0.29 so far this season, which puts him considerably higher above the average top five leagues forward for this metric as he lies in the top 12 percent of forwards. 

Another key stat to underline his movement is his touches recorded in the opposition penalty area. He averages 4.86 touches in the area which puts him in the 64th percentile of all T5 leagues wingers. 

As the graphic suggests, he also receives a healthy share of United’s progressive passes further up the pitch. Which points to him being a useful outlet in possession as well as being a dangerous out-ball for the side when they are in transition from defence to attack. 

All in all, there is plenty to be positive about with Elanga. Whereas, he may not have expected to play a significant role when the season started, no doubt, he is currently United’s unlikely hero for the present and potentially the future too.