Riyad Mahrez Vs Henrikh Mkhitaryan: Is The Manchester United Attacker Better Than The Premier League Winner?

Jose Mourinho has started the rebuilding process at Manchester United and he has not been afraid to spend, signing 3 new players. One of those is Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund. Brought in by the German club to replace Mario Gotze, he did a brilliant job. Especially since Marco Reus spent a lot of time on the sidelines with injury, Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang both stepped up. United have lacked creativity in front of goal the last few years and Mkhitaryan is someone who can help in that department. With 15 assists, he provided the most number of assists in the Bundesliga last season which helped him earn a place in the Bundesliga team of the season.

The Armenian will also become the first player from his nation to play in the Premier League once he makes his debut for Manchester United. His arrival means there’s more than one United player whose place is in danger. His versatility in terms of position makes it a little easier for the manager. So far in preseason, he’s been used more as a number 10 by Mourinho but he’s more than capable of playing out wide which is where he primarily played for Dortmund last season. He’ll definitely add width to the United side as Mata tends to cut inside when plays there making their game much more narrow. United’s movement and passing at times has been way to slow and the Mkhitaryan’s pace will be an added boost. Not only does he create goals, he scores them as well, scoring 11 in the League last season. The only player who scored more than 10 goals for United in the League last season was Martial who also scored 11.

The 2015-16 Premier League season was one of the most incredible seasons in English football. No one could have predicted at the start of the season that Leicester would end up as champions with Tottenham being their closest rivals in the race and Chelsea finishing in 10^th place. One of the stars of the title winning season was Riyad Mahrez.  Not only did he end up in the Premier League PFA Team of the Year, he was also the PFA Player’s Player and Fan’s Player of the year. His 17 goals and 11 assists helped Leicester seal a record-breaking season. He combined brilliantly with Jamie Vardy who had his own record-breaking run.

This was a massive step up from last season when he only amassed 4 goals and 3 assists. He has great vision and is strong with the ball at his feet. Leicester played an effective style of football winning matches where they didn’t have much possession of the ball countering with speed and Mahrez was instrumental for them.

If we compare the two players, Mahrez did score more goals while also completing more take ons. However, Mkhitaryan had more assists, key passes and chances created. While Mahrez has only really performed the one season, Mkhitaryan has definitely been more consistent. With both players playing in the same league, it will be intriguing to see who comes out on top next season.