West Brom 0 Manchester United 2: Zlatan Ibrahimovic behind only Ruud van Nistelrooy with his scoring record to start Manchester United career
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ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC has made an astonishing start to his Manchester United career an no player has had more of an impact in their first 16 Premier League games for the club...apart from Ruud van Nistlerooy.
Ibrahimovic scored twice in United's 2-0 win at West Brom and has now bagged 11 goals in 16 Premier League games.
That is only bettered by Man United legend Van Nistlerooy who hit 12 goals in his first 16 games after signing from PSV Eindhoven in 2001 for a then British transfer record of £19million.
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Another Dutchman runs Van Nistlerooy close, former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie who just as Ibrahimovic has hit 11 goals in first 16 league games, that tally is also equalled by Andy Cole.
What makes Ibrahimovic stand out though is his age, at 35 the Swede is making his debut season in the Premier League seem like a walk in the park.
If you were to look at just the goalscorers for Manchester United this season, especially in recent games it would look like the 35 year old is fighting the United cause by himself but that is not the case.
Jose Mourinho's men look sharper and what wasn't clicking or coming together a few weeks ago is now for the Red Devils and the big Swede is getting on the end of things for his club.
The result will read West Brom 0 Man United 2, with just the one goalscorer, but the United striker was quick to say how important the team have been in winning back to back away games in the league.
Ibrahimovic said: ''It was a more difficult game than Crystal Palace and the guys did a fantastic job, as a collective playing away against West Bromwich for the first time for me, the lads prepared me and told me, it would be a difficult game, in this game we win as a collective.''
The former PSG hit man also added how good he feels playing at such an age in the Premier League: ''I'm feeling good, in the end I was feeling a little bit tired but I feel fresh, I'm confident and when the team is doing good it's easier.
''We work hard and we sacrifice ourselves for each other and when you can win like this it's beautiful, in the end what counts is the three points.''
Unsurprisingly Ibrahimovic is the top goalscorer at the club with 16 goals in all competitions; 11 more than any other Man United player and he is proving just how important a signing he has been.
Ibrahimovic has a remarkable scoring record and he has proved time and time again he can not only win matches but titles.
Mourinho knew what he was getting when he decided to get what must be the best free transfer of recent years if not of all time.
His in form goal scorer has now scored in 100 of the 170 league games since the start of the 2011/12 season, he has scored a remarkable 152 goals in that period.
In this form whisper it and some think United are beginning to creep back in the title race, with Liverpool making the very short trip to Everton and Arsenal travelling to Manchester City the gap is closing in the race to catch the top four.
And if results go United's way then perhaps they can creep back in to the top four and set about challenging Chelsea for the title.
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United have now gone eight Premier League games unbeaten winning four of them, in the other four Arsenal and Everton snatched last minute draws, four points dropped in the blink of an eye.
Had the 20 time top - flight winners seen just those two games out then they would be sitting third in the table nine points behind Chelsea as appose to 13 points off the Londeners.
Wayne Rooney's performances have improved since the start of the season when he was heavily criticised, now he is chasing Sir Bobby Charlton's all time Manchester United record goal scoring record.
Charlton's 249 goal tally has stood for 43 years and the England and United captain is looking to surpass as soon as possible.
However his upturn in form has seen the former Everton man take his assists to nine in all competitions more than any other player as United are beginning to tick at just the right time.
As for West Brom they are having a decent season under Tony Pulis but they cant seem to protect their goal as a side chasing a Europa League place should with just one clean sheet in their last 14 Premier League games.
Its a concern for Pulis who likes to build his teams from the back, although his side have been better in front of goal this season but that has come at a cost.
United ended a three game winning streak at the Hawthorns for West Brom, it was the only second for West Brom in their last eight home games.