It was a comfortable three points for United as they beat Sunderland 3-0 at home to move to the top of the table for the first time in some time. Doing their part to help the cause, Tottenham beat City 4-1 with a couple of controversial goals to see the cross-town rivals drop two in a row after a run of undefeated league games going back to last season. Other teams near the top were held or beaten, with West Ham securing a late equalizer to earn a point and the Foxes on the losing end of a 5-2 thriller at King Power Stadium.
The victory was never in doubt as United controlled the tempo of play from the get go, missing a couple of solid opportunities to break the dead lock early. It was a refreshing sign to bear witness as United seemed content to push forward with an array of attacks from all over the pitch. After thirty minutes of unsuccessful frustration, the moans at Old Trafford became audible with fans seemingly worried of another Newcastle result. It wasn’t to last long as United found the back of the net in first half injury time with Memphis connecting with Mata on a cross into the box after a brilliant through ball from Blind.
This momentum would continue as United would double their lead inside two minutes into the second half after Rooney inadvertently kneed in a short cross from Martial to end the goal drought. The obvious relief in Rooney wasn’t hard to miss with his subdued celebration. United would spend much of the remainder of the game in attack mode, missing some chances and forcing some excellent saves from Black Cats’ keeper, Pantilimon. United seemed destined to score a third and Mata would be rewarded for his strong play. With an open net to rocket in a shot, Mata would make no mistake after a deflected Ashley Young cross found the ball at his feet unchallenged.
Of note, Darmian looked especially comfortable playing on the left which gave Valencia a run in on the right. Valencia, for his part, played well and often featured in the attack with several runs down the wing which gave Sunderland problems for much of the match. With some of the injuries picked up in training and during the Ipswich match, it seemed United may face a brief crisis of sorts in the back four. With Jones returning to action today and the effort of the fullbacks, van Gaal will likely feel more at ease as United prepare for the mid-week tilt at home with Wolfsburg.
While Martial couldn’t continue his run of goals, he was very vocal in the attack and was especially strong on the ball with several clever moves to work around the defenders. His uncanny calmness under pressure is a trait beyond his years and bodes well for the 19 year old as he continues to mature as a footballer. Not to be forgotten, Memphis too had a strong game save his dead ball kicks. Having watched him and Mata take them all season long, the lack of conversions got me wondering when Rooney may resume his duties in that regard. With Memphis especially struggling to find his pace on the ball, it’s something United will need to rectify as tougher opponents in the near future will see goals tougher to come by.
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