Profile

Paul Pogba entered the 2018/19 Premier League season after an extremely successful summer during which he played a significant role in France winning the 2018 World Cup. Featuring in a midfield three with N’Golo Kante and either Blaise Matuidi or Corentin Tolisso, he demonstrated his quality with several dominant performances that showed why, at £89m, Manchester United and José Mourinho once made him the world’s most expensive player.

His performances raised expectations surrounding his return to club duty at United, but he again proved inconsistent – and United’s inability to challenge for the Premier League title led to Mourinho’s departure and the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In his first 20 appearances of the season, Pogba scored five goals, including three from the penalty spot; in the next 20, under Solskjaer, he scored nine times, including three penalties, and was increasingly creative. As United’s performances again declined towards the end of the campaign, he contributed just two further penalties, leading to renewed criticism.

That total of 16 goals in all competitions across a season represents the highest of Pogba’s career to date – his previous best was the 10 scored with Juventus in 2015/16 – even if eight of those were penalties. He also registered nine assists – one fewer than during the previous campaign.