Bryan Mbeumo is having a good season for Man Utd and the forward looks like the most dangerous attacker at the club at the moment.

With Bruno Fernandes off colour, Manchester United have needed someone to step up recently, and Bryan Mbeumo looks ready to assume that mantle.

It has been far from a perfect week for the £71million forward, back to leading the line in the absence of Benjamin Sesko. He squandered two excellent chances in Madrid with United only 1-0 down to Atletico, and then sent another golden chance wide at Elland Road on Sunday.

But when Mbeumo next got a sniff of goal he made no mistake, dashing across the box to the front post to divert Youri Tielemans' cross past James Trafford. It was Mbeumo's fourth goal in seven Premier League games this season.

As was the case at the Metropolitano last Tuesday, Mbeumo was United's most likely route to goal. In fact, he was arguably their only route to goal in West Yorkshire.

He had three shots, two of which were on target, and his 0.65 xG was around 70% of United's total of 0.92. Nobody else in red registered more than 0.08 xG, which just goes to show how valuable Mbeumo proved to be.

In many ways, it was a classic striker's performance, although there were times when he drifted wide, particularly when asked to defend in the channels.

Across the 90 minutes, he touched the ball only 28 times and completed just five of 11 passes, but he came alive in front of the goal. By the time United kick off in Como on Wednesday night it will be more than a month since anyone else scored for Michael Carrick's side.

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Mbeumo looks better as a striker for Carrick than he does as a winger. Restored to a central position this season, he scored against Tottenham and Leeds and should have found the net in Madrid. He has now scored in four successive Premier League starts when playing as a striker.

"Bryan gives so much to the team," Carrick said after the draw with Leeds. "He sacrifices so much, he's willing to do pretty much anything that needs to be done to benefit the team, whether that's defending in certain areas, whether that's attacking, he'll give everything he's got.

"Slightly adapted role today, but when we had possession, it was pretty much as he has been, but a little bit different defensively, but he just wants to do well for the team and score goals.

"Maybe he could have added another one, and same in midweek, he's getting in really good positions to be really dangerous for us, and it's great to have him."

There is certainly a sense that if Mbeumo continues to get into these positions, the goals will flow. With United still deciding the best course of treatment for Sesko's shin injury, the Cameroon international might have to lead the line for a little longer yet, which might be no bad thing.

It does leave vacancies elsewhere, however. Amad was back at wing-back at Leeds, while neither Marcus Rashford nor Matheus Cunha are hitting form at the moment. With Fernandes also struggling, Mbeumo is more important than ever to Carrick.