Berba's Century

Little more than two years since arriving at Old Trafford, Dimitar Berbatov has chalked up his 100th United appearance.

He reached the milestone against Manchester City on Wednesday 10 November, 789 days after making his debut at Anfield in September 2008.

The Bulgarian arrived at Old Trafford from Tottenham Hotspur, saddled with a club-record transfer fee and significant expectations. Not all United fans, it must be said, took to his languid style immediately, but only a handful of supporters remain unconvinced.

A bewitching talent, Dimitar takes as much pleasure in making goals as he does scoring them, and aims to “create beautiful things” every time he steps onto the pitch.

And while he may not boast a strike-rate as high as some strikers who have pulled on the Reds shirt down the years, Berba's all-round contribution can't be faulted. Indeed, the stats we've unearthed bear out his tremendous influence at Old Trafford.

The Reds win more often and score, on average, more goals per game when Berbatov plays. Interestingly, the team concedes fewer goals, too.

A centre-forward will always be judged by his goals, though, and Berba’s strike-rate of one in every three United appearances certainly isn't shabby. It’s also comforting to know that in the 28 games in which he’s found the net for the Reds, United have lost just once (away to Everton in 2009/10). When Berba shines, United do too.

It won't surprise many to learn that Dimitar doesn't tend to explode into games. In fact, he’s never scored for United in the first 15 minutes of a match and only seven of his 33 strikes have come before half-time. Instead, he’s most dangerous just after the interval and just before the final whistle.

What's perhaps overlooked in Berba's game is the no.9’s predatory instinct. He’s often lauded for his approach play and passing in deep positions, and yet almost a third of Berba’s United goals have been scored inside the six-yard box.

It’s a surprising statistic. But then again, we should know by now to always expect the unexpected from Dimitar.

The stats that count
Appearances: 100
Goals: 33

United's results with Berbatov
P 100 W 71 (71%) D 16 (16%) L 13 (13%)
GF 202 (2.02 gpg) GA 72 (0.72 gpg)

United's results without Berbatov
P 39 W25 (64%) D 10 (25%) L 4 (11%)
GF 74 (1.89 gpg) GA 36 (0.92 gpg)

Goals by venue
Home – 20
Away – 12
Neutral – 1

When Berbatov scores
0-15mins – 0 goals
16-30mins – 4 goals
31-45mins – 3 goals

46-60mins – 9 goals
61-75mins – 8 goals
76-90mins – 9 goals

Where Berbatov scores
6-yard box – 10 goals
Penalty area – 19 goals
Outside box – 4 goals

How Berbatov scores
Right foot – 27 goals
Left foot – 2 goals
Head – 4 goals