André Onana’s form has revitalized Manchester United

André Onana’s start to life at Manchester United was consumed by criticism over his unconvincing goalkeeping, with the mistake in Munich being at the forefront of many high-profile errors in the first few months of his career in England.

Some showed sympathy for the Cameroonian goalkeeper due to the constant changes in the backline’s personnel that disrupted the chemistry between the members of the defensive unit. Communication is an essential building block to lay the foundations of an impenetrable defence, but it was not an aspect United could establish due to regular injuries.

Nevertheless, Onana was susceptible to unforced mistakes in the first few months of the season, so the criticism was warranted. However, the trajectory of Onana’s performances has since reversed, and it is nearing the time when critics must begin singing his praises and ensure that they are as loud as their early voices of disapproval.

A portion of the United fanbase was taken aback by Onana’s initial underperformance in red because it was not too long ago before he guided Inter Milan to a Champions League final. In the Italian team’s memorable run, Onana was instrumental in solidifying their defensive form.

The data highlights just that – Onana completed the most saves (47), maintained the highest number of clean sheets (8), and prevented more goals (7.6), according to the ‘post shot xG’ (PSxG) metric, than any other player in the competition.