EDINSON CAVANI should start up front for Manchester United as his goal record proves he tops Marcus Rashord, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood.
The Uruguayan striker was handed a rare start against Fulham on Wednesday night and repaid boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a goal in the 2-1 win at Craven Cottage.
The 33-year-old helped United come from behind in West London to secure a comeback victory that sent the Red Devils straight back to the top of the table.
Cavani was given the man of the match award by BT Sport co-commentator Jermaine Jenas and his display received plenty of plaudits.
The stats now show his 0.7 goals per 90 minutes in the Prem, betters his competition up front in Martial, Rashford and Greenwood.
Matchwinner Paul Pogba suggested United’s other options through the middle don’t have the same quality as the former PSG and Napoli forward.
Pogba told MUTV after the match: “Everybody knows that Edi is a top-class striker and there’s few strikers like this in the world, and we had the chance to have one.
“We know the hardest goals are those goals.
“We have talented players – Anthony Martial, Rashy in front, even Mason, that they can shoot from outside and stuff – but they don’t have this, the experience of Edi, and they don’t have the same quality of Edi as well.
“So I think we complete each other with the players we have in front and Edi can obviously show his class like he did today.
“Those goals that we needed, at the right time, he’s always there at the right time and the right moment to help the team to win.”
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Cavani’s shot conversion rate of 22.7 per cent is nearly seven per cent higher than nearest challenger Rashford.
And he even has the highest number of assists per 90 minutes out of all the strikers at United with 0.4 and fires off the most efforts with 3.2.
Norwegian Solskjaer is now left with a conundrum of how to line up with all his forward stars after using French ace Martial centrally from the start for the majority of the season.
But Cavani must now lay best claim to the central role with Martial, Rashford and Greenwood all fighting it out for a spot out wide.
His movement is incredible, fantastic. We’ve got to just get used to using him more.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Solskjaer heaped more praise on his free summer signing after he did the business against Scott Parker’s men.
He said: “That’s a centre-forward’s goal. You’ve got to be there to score and that’s what he does.
“And I think you can see – if you just watch him, if you have a player cam on him – his movement is incredible, fantastic.
“We’ve got to just get used to using him more. Second-half, when he gets his header, what a save from Areola. So it’s good to have different options up front.”
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