early goal from Brennan Johnson and a controversial red card for Bruno Fernandes gave United a mountain to climb before half-time, and things didn’t go much better in the second period for Erik ten Hag’s men. Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke added to the away side’s tally, with Ange Postecoglou’s team claiming all three points in an emphatic manner, in a result that saw the Lillywhites move three points ahead of United.
Zirkzee, who arrived from Bologna in the summer for £36.5 million, produced an absent display for the hosts, managing just 19 touches before being hooked on the stroke of half-time for Mason Mount.
Goldbridge: Pressure Swallowed Zirkzee Up
The striker took just one shot
After scoring 11 Serie A goals for Italy’s surprise package last season, Bologna, Zikrzee earned a blockbuster move to United in the summer window, added to Ten Hag’s ensemble to provide cover and competition for Rasmus Hojlund. With Hojlund out for the entirety of the season thus far until yesterday with a knee injury, Zirkzee has perhaps played more minutes early in his spell in Manchester than he might’ve expected.
Since scoring the winner on his debut against Fulham in the Premier League’s curtain raiser, the Dutchman has failed to make a telling contribution in the final third for United. The 23-year-old, clearly suffering from a lack of confidence, delivered an abject performance in the Red Devils’ defeat to Spurs yesterday.
Writing on X about Zirkzee’s outing against the North Londoners, the United Stand presenter Goldbridge commented on the pressure of playing for the prestigious English club:
With United on the back foot for much of the first half, Zirkzee struggled to impose himself on the game. The number nine took just one shot, managed just one touch in the opposition penalty area and completed just eight passes in his 45-minute outing, before being sacrificed for Mount following Fernandes’ dismissal.
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