Harry Maguire’s xG vs Rasmus Hojlund – A Damning Statistic for Manchester United’s Attack

A damning stat involving Harry Maguire and Rasmus Hojlund highlights Manchester United’s struggles in attack.

Manchester United’s Attacking Issues

Harry Maguire’s impact in just nine minutes against Nottingham Forest raised serious questions about the club’s attacking struggles.

Brought on as an emergency striker in the dying minutes of the game, Maguire recorded more expected goals (xG) in added time than Rasmus Hojlund has managed in his last 15 appearances.

Harry Maguire accumulated more xG in Added Time against Nott’m Forest than Rasmus Hojlund has in his last 15 appearances.

— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) April 1, 2025

In fact, he also registered more shots on target during his short cameo than both Joshua Zirkzee (zero in 78 minutes) and Hojlund (zero after coming on at half-time).

For a club that spent £72 million on Hojlund and £36.5 million on Zirkzee, these numbers paint a worrying picture of Manchester United’s attacking efficiency.

Maguire’s late-game impact is symptomatic of a deeper problem at Manchester United – goals are drying up at an alarming rate.

• United have scored just 37 goals in 30 Premier League games this season.
• They are on track to record their lowest-ever Premier League goals tally, potentially beating the 49-goal mark set in 2015-16.
• Their points-per-game average of 1.23 is dangerously close to their worst-ever Premier League season (1.57 in 2021-22).

Manager Ruben Amorim admitted after the game that United’s struggles in the final third are down to a lack of quality in the final pass and decision-making.

But when a centre-back looks more dangerous than two expensive strikers, something is clearly wrong.

"You're not a #9 because you're not scoring goals. You're not a #10 because you're not being creative."

Martin O'Neill isn't convinced by Joshua Zirkzee's start to life at Man United so far 🔴

🎙 @lynseyhipgrave1 | 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/nImGCsNEgQ

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 1, 2025

Why Didn’t Harry Maguire Start vs Nottingham Forest?

Maguire’s lack of playing time before the Nottingham Forest match was due to injury. His last game before that came on March 2, in Manchester United’s FA Cup defeat to Fulham.

Prior to that, he had played all 90 minutes in United’s previous six Premier League matches.

However, Maguire then missed four games through March due to a hamstring injury, disrupting his momentum.

By the time he returned to action against Nottingham Forest, he had been out for nearly a month. This lack of match fitness, combined with United’s available defensive options, led to him starting on the bench.

Despite this, when called upon, he made an immediate impact – leading to fresh questions about whether he should be considered more regularly, not just as a defender but as an alternative attacking outlet.

United weren’t bad tonight – apart from the minor detail of trying to score a goal. But when Harry Maguire comes on in stoppage time and looks like the biggest threat, that neatly sums it all up

— Si Lloyd (@SmnLlyd5) April 1, 2025

How Many Goals Has Harry Maguire Scored in His Career?

Despite being a centre-back, Maguire has developed a reputation for being a threat in the opposition penalty area, particularly from set-pieces.

Over the course of his career, he has scored 42 senior goals for club and country, including several crucial strikes for England in major tournaments.

At Manchester United, Maguire has found the net 14 times since joining from Leicester City in 2019.

While those numbers are modest, his recent xG stats suggest that he might be more of a goal threat than United’s expensive forward options at the moment.

This raises further concerns about United’s inability to create high-quality chances for their strikers and the lack of clinical finishing from their attacking players.

🚨💬 Amorim on playing Maguire up front:

"I did it a lot with Sebastian Coates at Sporting. We need a player who can score with his head and Harry Maguire is that type of player." #MUFC pic.twitter.com/JGOcVxViwu

— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) April 1, 2025

Why Is Harry Maguire Not Playing for England?

Despite his contributions at club level and his standout performances in past international tournaments, Harry Maguire was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad after missing four matches through injury in March.

Had he been fit, he would likely have been in contention for selection, given his experience and past performances for the national team.

The fact that Tuchel selected Kyle Walker and Jordan Henderson suggests he would highly value Maguire’s experience and leadership.

With some important World Cup qualifiers approaching in June, Maguire will need regular game time and strong performances to become a part of Tuchel’s plans moving forward.