Analysing Juan Mata's Early-Season Form for Manchester United

Juan Mata has been voted Manchester United's player of the month for September.

That gives some indication of his form, especially given he was competing with the man named player of the month by the Premier League—Anthony Martial.

Mata's season so far marks him out as one of United's absolutely key players. The statistics tell the story, in that regard. With three goals and three assists, the 27-year-old has been directly involved in half of United's 12 league goals this season.

It was a season which began relatively slowly for Mata, as it did for the whole team, but he still managed an assist and a goal in United's first four league games. The assist was a delightful pass for Adnan Januzaj's goal against Aston Villa.

Although Mata was ostensibly playing on the right-hand side of United's attack, he had drifted in to the left-hand side of space you would expect a No.10 to occupy when he fed Januzaj.

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The goal, which put United ahead against Swansea City before their fairly dramatic collapse, was—as many of his goals are—a poacher's effort. This time, his positioning was more traditional for a right-winger, stealing in at the back post from a left-wing cross.

In between those two games had come the frustrating 0-0 draw with Newcastle United at Old Trafford. While the Spain international was unable to make the ultimate impact on that game, his numbers were nonetheless impressive.

His shooting was a little wayward—with only two of his five shots on target. However, he was heavily involved in United's play—his 109 touches being the most of any player on the pitch.

Mata provided a remarkable five key passes, completed three successful dribbles and found a team-mate with 89.7 per cent of his 87 passes. 

While United laboured to find the breakthrough, the statistics suggested Mata was ready to have a substantial impact on United in the season ahead, and so September was to prove.

Mata's arrival at United set the tone for the expectations around him. He arrived as a World Cup and European Championship winner with Spain and a Champions League and Europa League winner with Chelsea.

He had been Chelsea's player of the season for two seasons in a row before Jose Mourinho deemed him surplus to requirements.

Mata's arrival offered hope that, in spite of David Moyes' and Ed Woodward's disastrous first summer window, United were still a player in the transfer market. The visuals of his arrival—stepping off a helicopter in a suit, like a cerebral action hero here to save the day—dovetailed neatly with his status as a superstar signing.

However, he was unable to save Moyes' season, or his job, and Louis van Gaal was immediately faced with a problem when trying to accommodate Mata into a side packed with attackers.

Eventually, after months of misuse in a deep-lying midfield role, Van Gaal hit upon the idea of using Mata as a false right-winger in a 4-3-3. The recent image of Van Gaal's idea of a right-winger might be the inside-right powerhouse that was Arjen Robben during Van Gaal's time at Bayern Munich and the Netherlands, and Mata could not be further from that.

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However, it worked. Against Liverpool at Anfield in March, Mata absolutely ran the show, scoring both goals in a 2-1 win, one of which will go down as one of the great goals of that fixture.

It is there Mata has continued ever since, and in spite of the—fairly logical—calls for him to replace Wayne Rooney in United's No.10 spot, there has been plenty of evidence that the Spaniard can influence United's fortunes from out wide.

The fact that he has been directly involved as provider or scorer of half of United's league goals this season is the key performance indicator of success here. He is top of the charts for average key passes per game in both the Premier and Champions League for the Red Devils. 

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Mata has not sacrificed sensible use of the ball for those numbers either—losing United possession with fewer than 10 per cent of his passes so far this season. He has the second most shots per game of any United player in the league, behind only Memphis Depay, and Mata is clearly making better use of those shots than his team-mate. 

The former Valencia man did not have the same kind of influence on the home tie against Liverpool this season that he had at Anfield last time out, though he did manage an assist. He then flat-out struggled against PSV Eindhoven—the only game so far this season where he was selected at No. 10.

Indeed, he missed a crucial chance against the Dutch club. This is pure speculation, but it was hard not to wonder whether Mata was particularly effected by Luke Shaw's horrible injury. It was after that injury that his performance went off the boil.

He recovered well, scoring a much-needed third goal for United at St Mary's against Southampton. That was the first of a run of three games in which Mata was crucial. He managed a goal and an assist in each of the next two fixtures.

His speed of thought was on show against Sunderland, where he was alive to Daley Blind's through-ball in injury time at the end of the first half. He had the composure to add technique to his speed of thought, and slotted a fine pass across to Memphis, who opened the scoring.

The goal Mata scored himself was another close-range effort, although he set himself up for the finish with a glorious first touch, deftly taking the momentum out of the ball, enabling him to have a free shot at goal.

And no mention of Mata's first touch and his performances this season can pass without a reference to his Diego Maradona-esque pluck from the sky against Ipswich in the League Cup. It was not a moment of long-term importance for player or club, but it was a beautiful example of why watching Mata play is such a treat.

Another example of that was to be found in the game against Wolfsburg—another in which Mata was key. He had scored a crucial penalty to equalise after United had gone behind. That was Mata the team player, Mata the professional, Mata the man for the big moment.

Mata the fantasista was on show a little later. As Bastian Schweinsteiger's mis-hit pass spooned towards him, the Spaniard was alive enough to—well, to punt a hit and hope into the box, but it was the most beautiful hit-and-hope on show at Old Trafford for a little while. A flicked, back-heeled volleyed assist was the best way to describe it.

It was pure Mata—improvisation at a key moment, directly impacting the score sheet.

Mata is not a player who dominates game after game. Rather he is a player whom Van Gaal can trust to execute on his orders, retain possession and make a key impact at key moments.

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That has been the story of his season so far. In general, it is a positive one, although he was unable to bring any significant impact to bear against Arsenal.

United, in the face of tough tests ahead in October, will need Mata to come up with a few more of those key moments in games this month.

All advanced statistics, except where otherwise stated, courtesy of WhoScored.com.