Manchester United is on a roll this season.
The win against Crystal Palace this weekend was the Red Devils’ 13th successive win at Old Trafford, and the atmosphere in the Theater of Dreams is now full of optimism and hope.
The only plague of late was Christian Eriksen’s unfortunate ankle injury, picked up in the FA Cup tie against Reading, after a terrifying two-footed thrust from former Liverpool flop Andy Carroll.
The Danish midfielder was seen limping on crutches after the game, and soon news of Eriksen being out of contention until the end of April dominated the headlines.
This forced United’s hand as they actively searched the transfer market for a short-term solution to what is now a huge hole in their midfield.
One option, which was also genuinely considered by the 20-time English champions, was to terminate the loan of youngster Hannibal Mejbri to Birmingham City, having seen the extraordinary playmaker put in some truly stellar performances in the heart of City’s midfield this season. .
The Red Devils ultimately decided not to recall the young Tunisian from what has been a very productive loan outing in the Midlands over the last few days before the deadline, choosing instead to sign Marcel Sabitzer on a temporary deal from Bayern Munich. .
Hannibal, however, continues to impress the Blues.
The 20-year-old grabbed the match-winning assist in the dying minutes of stoppage time from a corner grind, after coming off the bench at half-time, during City’s 4-3 win against Swansea City.
Hannibal vs Swansea:
45 min played1 assist30 touches85% pass acc1 key pass1/4 crosses1/2 long balls1 deflected shot2/4 duels on the ground1/2 aerial duels7 missed posts2 fouls1 x foul1 tackle1 x dribble
[@sofascoreINT] #mufc #loanwatch
— RedReveal (@RedReveal) February 4, 2023
This assist brings Hannibal’s tally for the season to five, four of which have come in the league.
As Peoples Person previously reported, the former AS Monaco man was also instrumental in securing an FA Cup fourth round replay for City, which they would emerge victorious from, playing a delightful throwback to the edge of the box for the substitute for Jordan James. well placed injury time equalizer.
Birmingham City had gone through a tumultuous run of games before the game at Liberty Stadium, a run that coincided with losing five straight games in the Championship, but a much-needed away win against a still-well-trained Swansea side. could start his season.
Hannibal will no doubt remain one of the key men for John Eustace’s side as they look to find some momentum during the second half of the season in a bid to avoid relegation to League One in May.
