Without even looking at his statistics, it is clear to see that Marcus Rashford is in the form of his life. The Manchester United star is back playing with a smile on his face and as though he has a point to prove. He is once again contributing for the Reds when it truly matters.
Rashford endured a difficult campaign last season, which saw him score just five goals all season and miss 12 matches through injury. Like many of his teammates, it was a frustrating year, but ever since Erik ten Hag was appointed the club's manager in the summer, the England ace has not looked back. He is, without a doubt, thriving.
The 25-year-old made a strong start to the season, but the goals - especially in the Premier League - were not flowing as frequently as he would have liked. He had scored just four times in the league prior to the World Cup in Qatar, but his performances were still at a high level - meaning the focus, unlike last season, was not directly on the attacker. However, since returning from the Middle East with England, Rashford has been simply unplayable, and he is showing no signs of slowing down.
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The United academy graduate has scored 16 goals in 17 matches since the break in the domestic campaign, while also registering five assists. Unsurprisingly, then, he was named Premier League player of the Month for January - and since returning from the World Cup, he has only failed to score in three matches in all competitions.
For people who choose to ignore statistics when judging whether or not a player is in form, it is still obvious that Rashford is playing at a level he has never been at before. For those who are interested by a player's numbers, the England international has recorded 24 goals and eight assists in 36 games this term.
Moreover, Rashford's form since the World Cup is being matched with remarkable statistics. In matches since the tournament in Qatar, the forward has scored 16 goals from 8.65(xG). In layman's terms, that means that the United star has scored twice as many goals than he should have since the season resumed.
The term xG in football is an abbreviation which stands for 'expected goals'. It is a statistical measurement that has come into the game in recent years, and is a way of measuring the quality of goalscoring chances and the likelihood of them being scored. It allows players - or teams as a whole - to understand how well they should be performing in front of goal, and how well they are performing.
In order to calculate xG, several factors are taken into account. For example, the type of assist, whether it was a shot taken with the head or foot, the angle and distance of the shot and whether or not it was a 'big chance'.
For Rashford, it essentially means that he should have scored around eight goals since the World Cup, rather than the 16 he has actually bagged. Typically, the best players - Harry Kane, for example - will outperform their xG. They will score more often than they statistically should do on a consistent basis.
With that in mind, then, Rashford is clearly playing at a level he has never experienced before. The fact he is outperforming his xG by around 100 per cent is incredible, but it does suggest that his current purple patch will eventually come to and end. When that does happen - and it will - it is vital that his teammates are able to pick up some of the slack.
Rashford has been winning games by himself in recent weeks, and it is easy to ignore that fact with how well Ten Hag's side are performing at this point in the campaign. The problem is, though, when the United forward does slow down in terms of his output, the Reds will need to find those goals from somewhere else.
Bruno Fernandes has scored the second-most goals by a United player this season, with the Portuguese ace having registered seven goals this term. Despite this, the Reds are certainly not the only team who have a clear, outright goalscorer. Manchester City, for example, have Erling Haaland, and the Norwegian ace is similar to Kane in terms of his statistical importance.
Considering his current form, it is no surprise that Rashford has no plans to slow down. Following the 3-0 win over Leicester City on Sunday - where he scored twice - the England ace insisted that he hasn't got a thought of taking his foot off the gas. It is likely that his output will drop at some point, but while he continues to outperform his xG, United will continue to win matches.
The challenge - for him and his teammates - will come when he does start scoring at his expected rate, rather than the unprecedented rate he is currently performing at. For now, though, Rashford, and the Reds, can enjoy the scintillating form he is in. It is further proof of the level the 25-year-old can be at.
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