In your biggest games, you need your biggest players to stand up and make the difference. Christian Eriksen is doing that already for Manchester United.
The 30-year-old has had a seismic impact at United since his summer arrival and, in the space of six games, he has already established himself as just about the most influential player under Erik ten Hag.
His performance against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon was the highlight of his short United career so far, though it was a display that showed exactly why his time at the club could be a long one full of success.
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Eriksen's cool assist to Marcus Rashford gave the forward a simple finish to wrap up the result in United's favour, a selfless act of support which summarised his entire ethos as a team player rather than one driven by individual accolades.
The Denmark international finished the match with the most touches of any United player, the most passes completed, the most chances created and did so while covering a staggering 11.2km of ground as well.
Many expected Eriksen to perhaps play a bit-part role for United this season, but in the opening six matches he has only missed eight minutes of action, making himself indispensable to the side by filling a midfield role so crucial to Ten Hag's tactical approach.
Eriksen is, in effect, doing exactly what the manager wanted Frenkie de Jong to do had he signed this summer, helping them dictate the tempo in the middle of the park while bringing composure and creativity to their possession game.
"We put him a little more down on the pitch, like a six or eight role. He has a lot of freedom. He has to interchange with the spaces where he has to be and the rest have to adapt to that," said Ten Hag after the Arsenal win.
"He can make a game for you, make the switch of play, he sees a pass between the lines, make the final pass and go into attack to score a goal. He can improve his defence. When he plays like today, one small mistake. We’ll give him that. He played a magnificent game."
De Jong isn't the only player he is playing instead of, though. In the past few seasons, it would have been Paul Pogba completing United's midfield trio alongside Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay. Rarely did he ever have an impact as impressive as Eriksen's at the weekend.
What was so infuriating about Pogba during his time at the club was that he rarely backed up his immense technical ability with a performance to match, and when he did, it was seldom seen in the biggest matches of the season either.
There was regular debate about how to make the Frenchman as influential in a United shirt as he was in one of his country's and who he should be partnered with to give him the freedom he craved to play the game the way he wanted to.
In contrast, Eriksen has adapted to whatever scenario he has been thrown into. In his progressive role, he has that attacking freedom to create chances from deep and dictate the pace of a game, but he marries that with the defensive discipline expected of him and often drops back to help his side on the backfoot.
Though technically blessed, Eriksen is arguably less naturally gifted than Pogba, but the Dane is proof that the real important traits to being a success at Old Trafford are the mentality and work ethic of a player, two areas in which he excels.
Ten Hag spent all summer chasing a progressive midfielder, and it turns out he got one.
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