Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has challenged Henrikh Mkhitaryan to produce in the Premier League as he did in the 4-0 Europa League defeat of Feyenoord on Thursday.
Mourinho handed Mkhitaryan just his second start of the season, while leaving out Anthony Martial. Mkhitaryan’s previous start came in the 2-1 home defeat against Manchester City on Sept. 10.
The Armenian had only made one further appearance since then, as a sub in the 2-1 defeat at Fenerbahce on Nov. 3, before being selected to face Feyenoord.
Discussing Mkhitaryan’s display, Mourinho said: “He just needs now to try to replicate this kind of performance in the Premier League. The Premier League is different. He needs one more step.
“Obviously now the confidence level is higher. This performance gives him the right to believe that he can play the next match.
“The Premier League has more physicality, more aggression. He needs a bit more of that. But, with the quality, we know why we bought him. He has a high level of technical quality. He’s very intelligent, very bright, with how he reads the game.”
Mourinho also explained his excited reaction following United’s fourth goal by saying: “The goal was amazing. If it was another team scoring that goal, another manager on the touchline, the goal would cross the planet. People would be speaking about magic. With a Mourinho team, it’s just one goal.”
Speaking about the performance as a whole, the United manager said: “We had that little bit of pressure on shoulders but they coped very well with it, with a good, solid performance.”
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate