Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri has registered record-breaking statistics since Erik ten Hag decided to put him in the team.
He scored his first Premier League goal during United’s 1-3 defeat against Brighton at Old Trafford.
He followed it up with a surprise start at Turf Moor against Burnley, where he caught the eye with his performance.
Hannibal was also included in the starting XI that beat Crystal Palace 3-0 in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.
The Tunisian has been integral to United’s efforts as they have now won two on the trot that have certainly relieved the pressure that was mounting on Erik ten Hag and his team.
In particular, the midfielder’s work-rate and intensity have earned him praise from the manager and supporters.
After the Burnley game, Ten Hag told journalists that Hannibal was “perfect” and did the job that was required of him.
An analysis conducted by Sky Sports revealed that the 20-year-old covered ran an astonishing 12.9 kilometres against Burnley at Turf Moor.
No other United player has covered such a distance this season.
Even more impressive is that the 12.9 kilometres is further than any United star has managed since Ten Hag took over the club’s reins last summer.
Sky Sports further added that the distance is more than any United player has run since such records started being collected in 2019.
Hannibal’s pressing numbers also make for incredible reading. His ability to close off players and force the opposition into mistakes has enabled the Red Devils to reclaim possession and play on the front foot.
Pressing and working hard off the ball is an aspect of the game Ten Hag has always emphasized and Hannibal is certainly coming up with the goods in this respect.
Against the Clarets, he completed a mind-blowing 104 pressures – the most by any player in a Premier League match this campaign.
Sky explains, “Factor in his cameo against Brighton and Mejbri is averaging 100 pressures per 90 minutes – the next man on the list is Rasmus Hojlund with 79.”
The thing that stuck out is that Hannibal does not just jog while enacting his defensive responsibilities. He sprints.
This is evidenced by the number of sprinting pressures – those where the presser reaches a sustained speed in excess of 25 kilometres per hour.
Hannibal tops the charts in this category at 14.4 sprinting pressures.
Bournemouth’s Marcus Tavernier ranks in second place at 13.5 springing pressures.
Earlier this month Ten Hag said, “To keep a game under control, to dominate an opponent, the pressing has to be right. We want to play proactive football, to play dynamic football. Pressing is a part of it.”
Hannibal is a living embodiment of this principle and it’s no surprise he’s finding joy in terms of first-team minutes and his growing status within the team.