It is easy to forget that this is the fourth season of the last five in which Marcus Rashford has scored 10 or more Premier League goals for Manchester United.
Many had written off the lithe forward after a poor run of form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer coincided with his public rise as a political rebel and feeder of hungry children.
But since the World Cup, arguably no player in world football has enjoyed a better vein of form than Rashford. With eight league goals in nine games since Christmas, he is a man reborn under Erik ten Hag, the homegrown talisman he was always supposed to be for the Red Devils.
Alongside his 12 Premier League goals, Rashford has grabbed three in just 212 Europa League minutes, one in the FA Cup and five in five Carabao Cup games, firing United to the final. He also has eight assists across this season, taking his goal contributions tally to 29 in just 34 appearances.
This is the Rashford the red half of Manchester has been waiting for since he burst onto the scene as an unknown 18-year-old in early 2016, following a brace against Midtjylland in the Europa League with a match-winning double against Arsenal.
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There are some odd trends to Rashford’s goalscoring – nine of his 12 league goals have come at home, and he only has one brace all season. Compared to Erling Haaland’s four hat-tricks, the United forward seems more profligate than prolific.
Yet while Rashford is unlikely to wrestle the Golden Boot from the Norwegian’s freakishly large hands, he could still win United a Carabao Cup and a place back in the Champions League.
Analysis: These are the days of Marcus Rashford’s life
By Daniel Storey, i chief football writer
Any side that has Marcus Rashford in it has a chance, these days.
The question is not whether Rashford would beat Forest centre-back in a 100-yard dash, but whether he would run all the way round the track and lap him. Worrall has other talents; Rashford has many more than most.
Are these the best days of Rashford’s career? We are not talking pure potential anymore, nor those dreary months when nothing would go right and he must have wondered whether it would ever quite feel right again.
Instead he is recovered, relentless and ready not just to help this team, but lead it. It is not the quantity of the goals, but the collection of attributes demonstrated within them: pace, poise, speed of thought and outrageous skill under pressure.
Read Daniel’s full analysis here
Premier League Goal 1
Man Utd 2-1 Liverpool, 22 August 2022, Old Trafford
This was United’s first win of the season, back when Liverpool were definitely going to recover from a minor blip. After Jadon Sancho coolly finished the opener, Rashford picked up Anthony Martial’s through ball and slipped the winner past Allisson.
IT'S TWO!
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 22, 2022
Marcus Rashford finishes off a clinical Manchester United counter-attack after a VAR check deems him onside!pic.twitter.com/1CecemhHZd
Goals 2 and 3
Man Utd 3-1 Arsenal, 4 September 2022, Old Trafford
Despite failing to score against Southampton, Leicester and Brentford in the early part of the season, Rashford added to his winner against Liverpool with two more against Arsenal.
The Englishman’s brace followed Antony’s debut goal with a similar counter-attacking finish to his first goal, before grabbing another late on after Christian Eriksen’s cutback.
Goal 4
Man Utd 1-0 West Ham, 30 October 2022, Old Trafford
Even though he started all but one of the games in this period, this was Rashford’s only Premier League goal between the beginning of September and the end of December.
It was also the forward’s 100th goal for United, powerfully heading home Eriksen’s cross to grab United three points.
Goal 5
Man Utd 3-0 Nottingham Forest, 27 December 2022, Old Trafford
Fresh from a successful individual World Cup, with three goals in 127 minutes, Rashford’s post-Qatar onslaught began against Forest. Hammering home a low corner, this took the Leader of the Opposition to just five goals in 15 league games.
Goal 6
Wolves 0-1 Man Utd, 31 December 2022, Molineux
Rashford’s first away league goal of the 2022-23 season, and just his second of 2022, came on New Year’s Eve. Battering his way through the Molineux penalty box, he eventually finished smoothly past Jose Sa, before having another disallowed later on for handball.
It just had to be Marcus Rashford
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 31, 2022
The substitute finds the back of the net and puts Man United aheadpic.twitter.com/1ElYk84w9Q
Goal 7
Man Utd 3-0 Bournemouth, 3 January 2023, Old Trafford
A late goal to cap off a comfortable home win, this was not Rashford’s most memorable moment, easily finishing off Bruno Fernandes’ cutback.
Goal 8
Man Utd 2-1 Man City, 14 January 2023, Old Trafford
His fourth consecutive league game with a goal, grabbing a late winner to down the noisy neighbours. However, this match will always be remembered for the goal he didn’t score – controversially running near the ball from an offside position to allow Bruno Fernandes to equalise.
Marcus Rashford is at it again!
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 14, 2023
Alejandro Garnacho and Man Utd's number 10 combine to put the home side 2-1 up in the derby!pic.twitter.com/kaUSgVv1iL
Goal 9
Arsenal 3-2 Man Utd, 22 January 2023, Emirates Stadium
So far, this is the only goal Rashford has scored in a game United have lost this season. The opener in a thriller, the forward rifled a low shot past David de Gea, but it wasn’t enough to get his side three points.
Goal 10
Man Utd 2-1 Crystal Palace, 4 February 2023, Old Trafford
An understated finish capping off a slick United move, Rashford made up for failing to score at Selhurst Park two weeks earlier.
Goal 11
Man Utd 2-2 Leeds, 8 February 2023, Old Trafford
With United 2-0 down, a leaping header helped spark a comeback against managerless Leeds. This was Rashford’s seventh goal in eight league games.
Goal 12
Leeds 0-2 Man Utd, 12 February 2023, Elland Road
Rashford’s second goal against Leeds in four days was another leaping header, expertly flicking home Luke Shaw’s cross.
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