Mkhitaryan's Great Start to Campaign Shown in Comparison to Philippe Coutinho's Best Assist Season

After a frustrating season watching the attacking midfielder, Manchester United fans are now starting to see the best of Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Initially shunned to one side by Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho, Mkhitaryan forced his way back into United's team last season and has started this term the way he finished the last campaign, in great form.

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While Mkhitaryan has quietly gone about his business during United's opening two Premier League games, grabbing four assists in the two 4-0 wins over West Ham and Swansea, the speculation regarding Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho continues to be deafening.

The Brazil international has heavily been linked with a move to Barcelona, with the Reds rejecting three bids from the Catalan giants so far, but is there that much of a gap in quality between the two players?

Probably not that much, depending on how you interpret certain statistics.

For example, after his lightning-fast start to the season, Mkhitaryan is now just three assists away from matching Coutinho's best tally for assists in a Premier League campaign, with former Inter Milan man Coutinho registering seven last season.

With a further 36 league games to go, most neutrals would back the Armenia international to break Coutinho's assist record, especially as he has players like Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba to finish off the chances he creates so regularly.

Mkhitaryan was one of the Bundesliga's finest players during the 2015-16 season, when he managed 11 goals and 15 assists, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the 28-year-old reach those kind of figures again this year if he continues his fine form.