Manchester United became the most in-form team in the Premier League with their victory over Luton Town before the international break.
However, that victory didn’t come easy as missed chances had them sweating looking at the prospect of more dropped points before an unlikely hero emerged.
Victor Lindelof’s calm finish in the second half sent United on their way to three points and the Swede has now been recognised as one of the best performers across Europe’s top leagues for that weekend.
With a WhoScored rating of 8.21, Lindelof rubs shoulders with the absolute elite of European football.
Alongside him in a three-man defence are PSG’s Marquinhos and Cagliari’s Dossena.
The frontline is the stuff of nightmares for any defenders, including Real Madrid pair Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr, along with Kylian Mbappe.
Here are the best performers across Europe's top five leagues using @WhoScored rating system.
Would you make any changes? 👀 pic.twitter.com/VbPkJzOWoU
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) November 14, 2023
Shifting the focus back to Lindelof, the fans and the manager will hope that he joins Harry Maguire in a season of resurgence of the old guard.
The defender was having a nightmare season and had recently missed time due to injury.
His return came at the best time for Erik ten Hag as Jonny Evans is set for a spell on the sidelines and Raphael Varane remains mysteriously out of favour.
Just like Maguire, Lindelof took the opportunity with both hands and ran with it against Luton.
With a two-week international break window before United’s next game, away to Everton, he will likely be recognised for his efforts by retaining his place in the team.
The manager has shown that he picks the team based on form recently, with Maguire and Evans keeping their esteemed colleagues out.
Even Ten Hag-favourite Antony has been relegated to a bench role after consistently bad performance so Lindelof can expect to start against Everton on November 26.
Fans will hope that this is the start of a sterling run of form for the Swede because the United backline could really use all the luck right now.