After Lengthy Scoring Drought, Joshua Zirkzee Might Be Back
The Dutch striker scored a late goal as Manchester United fought from behind to earn a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa.
Only eight minutes remained against Aston Villa when Joshua Zirkzee stepped onto the pitch, replacing Bryan Mbeumo. Manchester United trailed 4-2 and seemed destined for a fourth loss in five games. In the 92nd minute, though, Zirkzee slid Patrick Dorgu’s cross in first time past Zion Suzuki to pull one back. Four minutes later, Dorgu headed home the equalizer.
Heading into October, Joshua Zirkzee had not scored a competitive goal since December 2025. Once a Serie A star with Bologna, the Dutch striker’s move to Manchester United has not had the desired effect. He’s mustered only ten goals in two-and-a-half seasons, with seven of those coming in his debut season.
Zirkzee is not a pure striker, but a self-described 9.5. He’s not quite a natural nine nor a ten, but he operates in the space between the two. That felt like a more natural fit under Erik ten Hag, who was in charge when Zirkzee joined. Ten Hag is long gone, while Ruben Amorim and, subsequently, Michael Carrick have emphasized more physically gifted forwards.
Still, Zirkzee is now Manchester United’s only fit striker. Benjamin Šeško, who joined only a year later, has been sidelined since September. Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo have been used at striker, but have enjoyed more success at other positions. Only two players — Bruno Fernandes and Mbeumo — have scored multiple goals in the Premier League through ten games.
Zirkzee has certainly made a case to become involved again. It started at the beginning of October, when the 25-year-old was handed a surprise call-up for the Netherlands. Zirkzee was absent at the World Cup and hadn’t played for the Oranje since 2024. New head coach Xavi gave him a second chance, though, giving Zirkzee appearances in the Nations League against Greece and Serbia.
Zirkzee came on at the half against Serbia and made an immediate impact. In the 72nd minute, he peeled off his marker, tapping home to give the Netherlands a 2-1 lead. It was far from a difficult finish, but it was smart movement from the striker that created an easy goal. Zirkzee created several other good chances with his movement and hold-up play.
He finally got off the mark in 2026 at club level in the Champions League two weeks later. With Como up 4-0, Amad Diallo whipped in a cross in extra time, and Zirkzee beat the offside trap. He then controlled the ball and sent a powerful volley off the ground and past Jean Butez. Once again, it was not the most difficult finish, but the Dutchman did well to get into position and did his job from there.
Ultimately, the main question about Zirkzee is: can he work in the Premier League, and, more specifically, with Manchester United? He excelled with Bologna, a club that dominated possession in a slower, more tactically focused league. In the more physical Premier League, playing for an often more direct side, his strengths haven’t translated over quite as nicely.
While his long-term future may be outside of Manchester, there is still a short-term path back for Zirkzee. Mbeumo has hit a scoreless streak of his own, with five straight starts without a goal. Zirkzee, by comparison, has two goals in his last 61 minutes for the Red Devils, and helped earn a crucial point against Aston Villa by kick-starting the comeback.
Carrick’s United are seemingly in free-fall, and the upcoming stretch of matches will be crucial. A trip to Anfield is next on the agenda, followed by winnable matches against Sporting CP, Brentford, and Newcastle. All of those clubs have had their own struggles this season, but for the Red Devils to have a chance, they need to be more lethal. That hasn’t happened this season.
United have scored five goals in their last 389 minutes without Zirkzee on the pitch, or approximately one goal every 78 minutes. With him on the pitch, they have scored 3 goals in 61 minutes, or roughly once every 20 minutes. Of course, there are other factors. Zirkzee often comes in when Manchester United are chasing the game, so they will look to push forward and score more than usual.
He also comes in late, when defenses are tired and perhaps let their guard down more than usual. That’s how he scored against both Como and Aston Villa: trailing by multiple goals against a tired defense, he slipped past defenders to find space, then scored with a smart finish. That suggests Zirkzee benefits more from the circumstances than from anything he does in particular.
That isn’t completely true. Even though he isn’t a lethal goalscorer, when Zirkzee comes on, his movement and positioning create chances for others, not just himself. Only Marcus Rashford creates more chances per 90 (3.3) than the Dutchman (3.0), albeit with a very small sample size. Zirkzee is, as he has always insisted, a 9.5: a mix of a creator and a scorer, but not 100% in either direction.
Zirkzee’s time in Manchester has been frustrating. There’s no doubt about that. Still, he has shown he is capable of making an impact over the past month, both in the Premier League and in the Champions League. Zirkzee should continue to be given more minutes while Šeško is sidelined, and if he continues to show up as he has, he might just carve out a regular role once more.
–
Image via X (@ManUtd).
