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Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford stood out as Manchester United rallied to a narrow 3-2 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Thursday.
In what was a terrible start to the game, Manchester United were left behind just five minutes as Dean Henderson took too long to drop the ball after receiving a backward pass from Harry Maguire. This allowed Oliver Burke to get closer to the former Sheffield United loan and force him to make a mistake. David McGoldrick then pounced on the loose ball and struck to open the scoring.
Manchester United grew in the game thereafter and brought it back in terms of level midway through the first half, when a brilliant long pass from Victor Lindelof released Marcus Rashford, whose driven shot found the back of the net. Soon after, United took the lead when a first pass from Paul Pogba found Anthony Martial, who made no mistake by scoring his first league goal of the season.
The Red Devils continued to advance and were 3-1 up at the start of the second period, when a little more brilliance from Pogba kicked off a brilliant team counterattack play, with Rashford scoring his second of the night. Manchester United, however, was in a nervous ending when McGoldrick nodded from a corner that never was.
It took a superb save from Henderson to keep Lys Mousset out at the end, as Manchester United held on to their narrow lead to finish week 13 of the matchday sixth in the Premier League table, just five points behind. of leader Liverpool with one game less. The Hard Tackle now rules Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.
Dean Henderson: 5/10
Solskjaer perfectly summed up Dean Henderson’s outing on the night, when he said it was the good, the bad and the ugly all rolled into one. The former Sheffield United loan officer got off to a bad start when, inexplicably, he made that mistake in the run-up to David McGoldrick’s goal.
Insert from Getty Images
The good came in the form of a few good saves, the most notable of which was the late save to deny Lys Mousset and keep Manchester United in the lead. The downside, however, was his lack of reaction when McGoldrick scored his second, knocking the ball out of the net. However, only part of his learning curve, and in the end, there was no harm. Solskjaer will hope to learn from his mistakes.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: 6/10
A performance that was at the height of the field. Wan-Bissaka was decent enough at the rear to win 4 of the 6 matches he played. In the future, however, he generally made little notice and the fact that he turned the ball over 13 times is a major concern. You need to step forward.
Victor Lindelof: 6.5 / 10
It was a largely solid performance from Lindelof, despite facing some tough moments, courtesy of the physical nature of Sheffield United’s game. However, it was his imagination that released the pressure on Manchester United as it set Rashford up for a draw. Half a point stuck for failing to clear the ball during the illegitimate corner in which McGoldrick scored his second.
Harry Maguire: 7/10
Like Lindelof, Maguire was reasonably solid for the most part Thursday night. The Manchester United captain won 10 games on the night, barely letting McGoldrick get on top of him in the air. Three punts, three tackles and two interceptions helped release the pressure. He helped control the game for the most part with his accurate passes from behind.
Alex Telles: 6.5 / 10
Telles still seems to be establishing himself at Manchester United and this was another performance that suggested the same. While it was a left flank exit and created a couple of chances too, he also blew the ball. He conceded the corner that led to McGoldrick’s second, but it was actually a brilliant last-minute tackle that should have earned a goal kick.
Paul Pogba: 9/10
Paul Pogba’s game in numbers against Sheffield United:
82% passing accuracy
15 last third passes
8 ball recoveries
6/8 long passes
3 free spaces
2 interceptions
2 ticketsA really strong performance in the middle of the park. 💪 pic.twitter.com/KiZuGMlEIH
– Dave Statman (@StatmanDave) December 17, 2020
Speculation about Pogba and his future at Manchester United has been growing like wildfire lately. Pogba, however, is thankfully letting his game speak all in the midst of all of this and after a slow start, he took control. He pitched Martial with a peach from a ball for the first time and initiated the move for Rashford’s second with brilliant skill. He controlled the game superbly in another way.
Nemanja Matic: 7/10
Back on the sidelines to allow Fred to get some rest, Matic was typically modest in his display against Sheffield United. The Serbian barely lost the ball and aimed to progress the game at every opportunity, and his defensive coverage made him the perfect match for Pogba and Manchester United’s attackers. A solid screen.
Mason Greenwood: 6/10
Stationed on the right wing, Greenwood struggled to get so involved. However, largely pinned down on the right flank, he helped open up spaces for players like Bruno Fernandes and Rashford. The decision-making still needs some improvement, but he did well to play his part in preparing for Rashford’s second.
Bruno Fernandes: 7/10
This was a second game in a row in which Bruno Fernandes was not directly involved in a goal, something quite unheard of during his stint at Manchester United so far. However, the Portuguese international was still involved in two of the goals, superbly tying Pogba on Manchester United’s last two goals. His participation in the third, in particular, was a delight and his quick pitches made that counter.
Marcus Rashford: 9/10
A top-class performance from Rashford, who showed better shooting skills than in recent matches. Aaron Ramsdale had no response for his driven shot and while Rashford was a bit lucky for his second shot, his shot did have a stinger. He could have done better to help Telles to the left, but overall this was the kind of performance that was needed from him on a regular basis, as noted in our preview.
FIFA Foundation Award Winner ✔️#MUFC Man of the match winner ✔️ @MarcusRashford: win on off the court 👏 pic.twitter.com/WbBDbnE6M1
– Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 17, 2020
Anthony Martial: 7/10
Back in the starting lineup after regaining sharpness, Martial finally had a game to remember. The Frenchman showed brilliant conscience to score his first Premier League goal of the season for the first time before setting Rashford up for what turned out to be the winning goal. He could have scored more, but nonetheless he will perk up with his performance. You need to move on from here.
SUBSTITUTES
Juan Mata: 6/10
In the last quarter hour or so, Mata kept playing, but was also careless at times. But, it also almost finds the back of the net with good effort. I did enough.
Donny van de Beek: N / A
He barely saw the ball after coming in, with Sheffield United pushing forward threateningly.
Scott McTominay: N / A
A late introduction, McTominay helped watch the game.
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