The Dutchman’s effort against the Cottagers was simply immense, from a mental and physical standpoint, and continued the 25-year-old’s quiet rise since the arrival of Ruben Amorim.
Against Real Sociedad last Thursday, and Arsenal on Sunday, it was the same again: two challenging contests for the team to negotiate, during which De Ligt opened the shoulders and gave it everything. Concentration, commitment, intelligence, and plenty of combat.
While the Reds have gone through the ringer in 2025, De Ligt has shown clear relish for the challenges United have had to negotiate. And in this recent run of games – Ipswich, Fulham, La Real, Arsenal – supporters have really noticed.
De Ligt’s first United goal at Old Trafford arrived in the game against Kieran McKenna’s side – a typically full-blooded stab home from close range, following a penalty-area stramash – and throughout that 10-man win, he and Harry Maguire seemed to be in their element. Backs-to-the-wall defending, disgusting weather conditions, endless physical battles against the aggressive Liam Delap? We’ll have a bit of that, the big centre-halves seemed to say.
There’s not a lot to shout about at the moment, with injury-hit United in the midst of the club’s worst Premier League season on record. But De Ligt’s growing authority and influence deserves a modest nod…