Been reading this thread from the start because I’m very interested in how Højlund develops. I’ve followed him since Sturm Graz and must say, contrary to what some in here think, that he was just about as good at the start of the season as he is now - his potential has been obvious since Switzerland and his rapid development there and in Italy.
When he came here he had already shown his skills, but he got even better nearly instantly with the step up. Remember the first game v Arsenal - how he was quite the handful for Saliba and should have had a penalty. Remember his two or three cancelled goals - the finishing and composure he showed. Remember how he contributed to the overall play from the beginning - the defense splitting passes for Garnacho, Rashford and Bruno, the many times he held the ball and laid it off with an opponent on his back, the elegant back heel or the turn on and outrunning of Van der Veen.
I’ve followed his every move here and found a handful or two situations where he should have done better - and just two or three chances he should have put away, though the header in the FA Cup game was the only one that was a clear cut chance. People have talked about his runs, but he’s done what he’s supposed to from the start - occupied two defenders to make room for his teammates while trying to get rid of them at the same time. And he’s done it very well. That said, none of us knows what goes on in training and how ETH wants the forwards to run in relation to each other, which makes it hard to judge for example whether it’s him not running too soon/late or Garnacho/Bruno playing him too soon/late. What’s evident is that until recently he’s not been played most of the times he was free.
In conclusion, Højlund has shown that he is the real deal all season, though admittedly it seemed like he got a bit insecure about his runs during the fall - because he wasn’t played. He’s gotten more used to the prem, but he isn’t playing much better than in august - the difference is that the rest of the team play better know. He will continue to shine if the team keeps playing well and he will go on to become one of the very best forwards of his generation, unless injuries prevent it. We have a gem on our hands, and it’s not even that rough.
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