Manchester United are still in the Premier League top four race and it's all thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese superstar scored his second hat-trick of the 2021/22 season last Saturday to secure a 3-2 victory for the Red Devils over relegation-threatened Norwich City.

Ronaldo's latest heroics at Old Trafford have seen United move ahead of Arsenal into fifth with six games of their season remaining.

Ronaldo is now up to 15 Premier League goals for the season and only Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Tottenham Hotspur's Heung-min Son are ahead of him in the standings.

Not bad for a guy who was once foolishly labelled the 'problem' at United...

What makes Ronaldo's numbers in 2021/22 all the more impressive is the fact that the team around him has struggled enormously for pretty much the entirety of the campaign.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 16: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United reacts after Teemu Pukki of Norwich City scores their sides second goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Norwich City at Old Trafford on April 16, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

One fan of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has decided to further highlight that on Twitter following the weekend's action.

The user has compared Ronaldo's chance creation to that of Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain and the evidence on show is quite compelling.

United players have wasted much of Ronaldo's playmaking, while the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have helped Messi rack up a significant number of assists.

Video: Ronaldo & Messi's chance creation in 2021/22

While some of Messi's assists at PSG this season have been works of art, he's also been aided by some world-class finishing from his teammates - Mbappe in particular.

As for Ronaldo, he's had to watch United players squander chance after chance created by him. He should certainly have more than three assists to his name across all competitions.

Imagine if the Portugal captain had spent 2021/22 playing with Mbappe and Neymar rather than United's misfiring attackers...

Man United & Man City to battle for Aurélien Tchouaméni (Football Terrace)

United fans will be hoping for more goals from Ronaldo in the next five days or so, as the team have two games that could define their season.

On Tuesday, the Red Devils travel to play rivals Liverpool, before a trip to Arsenal for Saturday's early kick-off.

If United are to pick up precious points in those matches, they will need Ronaldo at his very best.

Can you answer these 12 questions about Cristiano Ronaldo's first spell at Manchester United?