Zlatan Ibrahimovic And Paul Pogba Key To Manchester United Form

Manchester United's star summer signings Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba are playing a key role in the team's resurgence - and delivered again on Boxing Day.

The in-form pair had a hand in all three goals as United saw off David Moyes' Sunderland 3-1 at Old Trafford.

Ibrahimovic set up two and scored another himself after being played in by Pogba.

Those contributions mean the duo have been directly involved in all seven of United's goals across their past three games, after Ibrahimovic struck twice at West Brom and both found the net at Crystal Palace.

But their influence stretches back further than that.

United's 3-1 win at Swansea in early November appears to have been a turning point for Jose Mourinho's side - and the moment Ibrahimovic and Pogba came to the fore.

Prior to that game United had failed to win eight out of 13 matches in all competitions. Pogba and Ibrahimovic had contributed just two goals and one assist in seven games. But victory in south Wales has sparked a streak of eight wins and three draws in their next 11.

Ibrahimovic and Pogba have been directly involved in 16 (66.7 per cent) of the 24 goals United have scored in that run.

Frontman Ibrahimovic has weighed in with 11 goals and three assists. Pogba has two goals and four assists - all for the Swede.

Importantly for Mourinho and United supporters, those goals and assists have proved decisive, too. United would be 11 points worse off if it wasn't for Pogba and Ibrahimovic's interventions in the past 11 games.

It's an impressive impact - and, combined with the pair's early-season form, adds up to a significant contribution to United's season.

In total, 17-goal Ibrahimovic has scored 34.7 per cent of United's 49 goals across the Community Shield, Premier League, EFL Cup and Europa League. If you add Pogba's five goals to that sum, the pair account for 44.9 per cent of United's strikes.

Mourinho described Pogba as the "best midfielder in the world" in an interview with French broadcaster SFR last week, while he heaped praise on Ibrahimovic following the Sunderland win.

"It matters the way he plays for us, the way he leads the team, and I'm so pleased also for him," said the manager. "It's an amazing number of goals, especially for someone who comes to the Premier League."

Both United and Mourinho's star pair have endured tough spells this season. But both the individual players and the team as a whole are hitting their stride at a key phase of the campaign.

Credit: Skysports.com