Saturday 30 December 2017 20:31, UK
With the spotlight on him, Henrikh Mkhitaryan struggled on his return to the Manchester United starting line-up as the team drew 0-0 at home to Southampton.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan showed signs of his undoubted quality last season but when he kicked off the current campaign with two assists in his first game - doubling his tally for the whole of last season - there was plenty of excitement. After three games, he was up to five assists and then scored his first Premier League goal of the season in the 4-0 win over Everton.
But that's as good as it has got for Mkhitaryan this season. He was substituted just after the hour mark in the goalless draw against Liverpool at Anfield in October and was then hooked at half-time in the away defeat to Huddersfield the following week. This was Mkhitaryan's first start for Manchester United since the defeat to Chelsea in early November.
With Jose Mourinho needing to rotate given the hectic Christmas schedule, the visit of Southampton was Mkhitaryan's big chance. It was a chance show that any talk of his career at Old Trafford drawing to a close is premature. But form cannot be turned on like a tap and the Armenia international looked short of confidence right from the outset.
Playing from the left, Mkhitaryan seemed particularly uncomfortable when asked to cross the ball with his weaker left foot - overhitting a number of centres, much to the annoyance of Mourinho on the sidelines. When Mkhitaryan was substituted 20 minutes into the second half with the game in the balance, the home fans certainly appeared to welcome the move.
So what now for the man who was regarded as one of the best players in the Bundesliga? Mourinho has been vocal about the need to add more quality to this United squad. If he no longer believes that Mkhitaryan can be a player he trusts to make the difference for his side, this opportunity could instead prove to be the game that crystallised his coach's view.
