Manchester United on course for their lowest-ever Premier League goals tally

Wayne Rooney (right) Anthony Martial have managed six and five goals in the Premier League this season respectively

​Louis van Gaal declared that Manchester United were back in the title race after their win at Liverpool on Sunday.

But have United ever had such a bad goals-per-game ratio? And has a team ever won the title scoring so few goals?

So far this season, Manchester United have scored just 28 goals in 22 games, which works out as 1.27 goals per game. If United were to finish the season with that goals-per-game ratio then they would finish the season on 48 goals - their worst in Premier League history.

The lowest goals tally from a title-winning side in a 38-game season is the 68 scored by United in 2008/09 and by Arsenal in 1997/98. In fact, it's been more than 10 years since a side finished in the top six in the Premier League after mustering fewer than 50 goals over the course of a season.

Louis van Gaal's team have struggled to score this season

The lowest ratio for a completed season by United was 2004/05 when they scored 58 goals in 38 games at an average of 1.53 per game. They finished third that season.

However, United proved you do not have to score loads of goals to win titles. In 1992/93 as they won the first edition of the Premier League despite having a ratio of 1.60 goals per game. This is the lowest of any title-winning team in the Premier League era.

The best-ever goals-per-game ratio managed by United was 2.55 in 1999/00 with 97 goals scored in 38 games, which is double their projected tally for this season.

That season, Dwight Yorke managed 20 goals in the league and Andy Cole scored 19, while they were ably backed up by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (12 goals) and Teddy Sheringham (five goals).

Andy Cole (right) celebrates with Manchester United team-mate Dwight Yorke in August 1999

Manchester United's main forwards this season, Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial, have managed just six and five goals so far respectively.

In 1999/00, United's midfield also chipped in with plenty of goals as Paul Scholes (nine goals), David Beckham and Ryan Giggs (both six goals), and Roy Keane (five goals) were regulars on the scoresheet.

This season, Juan Mata has managed four goals so far, but not a single other player in their squad (excluding Rooney and Martial) has yet managed more than two in the Premier League.

Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs were regular contributors from midfield in 1999/00

These stats were taken from Martin Tyler's weekly stats and facts column, which you can read HERE