"Must be so tough being under the microscope of Manchester United" - Ian Wright feels Red Devils summer signing has dealt with a ton of pressure 

Ian Wright gives Rasmus Hojlund his flowers following his first EPL goal.
Ian Wright gives Rasmus Hojlund his flowers following his first EPL goal.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has highlighted the amount of pressure Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund has been under after he broke his Premier League duck.

Hojlund failed to score a goal in each of his first 14 league appearances with the Red Devils. That was until he scored a memorable winner in United's 3-2 comeback win against Aston Villa on December 26.

The 20-year-old joined Manchester United from Atalanta in the summer for a reported £72 million. The Danish frontman was immediately tasked with spearheading Erik ten Hag's attack at Old Trafford.

Wright was pleased to see Hojlund finally net his first Premier League goal as he believes the Denmark international hasn't stopped trying. He told his Wrighty's House podcast (via TBR Football):

"You can’t look at Rasmus Hojlund and say this man isn’t trying. This man is trying. And the goal he scored in the small area where he scored, you won’t say it was a tap-in, He still finished it and finished it in a way where you think, yeah, get the ball in and around him, and this guy can manoeuvre."

Wright alluded to Hojlund's drought by explaining how he's joined a currently struggling Manchester United side:

"You just felt relief for this poor guy. He is 20, and it is arguably one of the worst periods in Manchester United’s history, one of them. You have got a 20-year-old who has been brought in for a fortune, who has not scored yet in the Premier League, and he scores."

The Gunners icon hopes the Dane can build on his goal against Villa and reach expectations at Old Trafford:

"It must be so tough being under the microscope of Manchester United, the global fans, he still hadn’t scored, to see him score, I just hope he can continue to do that, I really really do."

Hojlund had enjoyed a fine spell in the UEFA Champions League this season before United's elimination. He managed five goals in six games during the Red Devils' disappointing group-stage campaign.


Erik ten Hag hopes Rasmus Hojlund will now kick on Manchester United enter the second half of the season

Rasmus Hojlund.
Rasmus Hojlund.

Hojlund took his time in finally getting on the scoresheet in the Premier League but it came at a vital time. His side were edging towards a draw against Villa which will only have further dented their top-four hopes.

Manchester United sit seventh in the league, six points off the top four. They face a massive challenge in trying to qualify for next year's Champions League.

Ten Hag is confident Hojlund can now go on to become more prolific for the Red Devils in their quest for a top-four finish. He said (via Manchester Evening News):

"I trust him, I knew he could, his goals in the Champions League showed he could. What he did as a young player in Austria and Italy. This goal will give him belief he's going to score more goals from this point on."

Hojlund will likely lead the line when Manchester United face Nottingham Forest today (December 30). Anthony Martial is sidelined with illness, leaving the goalscoring burden on the Dane and the in-form Alejandro Garnacho.

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