Manchester United put their recent slow starts behind them when they achieved an emphatic 6-2 win over Leeds United thanks to four goals in the first half.
Scott McTominay put United on the road to victory by scoring in the second and third minutes. The midfielder fired an effort from outside the box into the bottom corner before bursting into the box to add his second.
Bruno Fernandes scored the Red Devils third in the 20th minute, hammering into the bottom corner after a quick counterattack, while Victor Lindelof scored a rare corner goal to increase the lead.
Leeds scored a goal in a corner of their own as Liam Cooper rose higher to head off a Raphinha cross before the break.
Anthony Martial and Raphinha had chances in the second half, while Daniel James received a yellow card for shooting into the Leeds area.
James made peace soon after receiving the ball from McTominay and scoring with Illan Meslier, while Fernandes added his second from the penalty spot and Stuart Dallas scored a consolation for the visitors.
United’s dominant victory over their former foe saw them break into the top four and extend their impressive Premier League streak to six wins in their last seven games.
Here are five talking points from Old Trafford.
1. McTominay Masterclass
(Image: POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
“Scott McTomiany has become Paul Scholes and Roy Keane has become one,” Gary Neville said after the midfielder’s second goal in two minutes.
It was an ironic compliment, but McTominay’s performance justified the comparisons to the legendary duo United.
The 24-year-old has struggled to maintain his starting role this season and had to settle for a minute off the bench against Sheffield United last time out.
But the Scottish international took a few seconds to justify his return to the starting eleven, as he became the first player in top flight history to score two goals in the first three minutes.
McTominay’s sweetly beaten effort landed in the bottom corner in the second minute and danced into the area to add his second the next minute.
Delivering an excellent performance, he skipped a challenge and collected the assist when Daniel James added United’s fifth of the night.
McTominay has formed a dynamic midfield partnership with Fred and the pair can cover ground and back down in ways that 32-year-old Nemanja Matic cannot.
A two-goal performance against Leeds means that McTominay’s starting role is his to lose, while his importance to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will only increase amid uncertainty about Paul Pogba’s future.
2. Who starts slow?
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be delighted as his team shot out of the blocks from the first whistle at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have earned the unwanted reputation of being a slow starter after routinely conceding the first goal earlier this season.
The latest example of this came on Wednesday, when David McGoldrick opened the scoring for Sheffield United in the fifth minute.
United won 3-2, but Solskjaer admitted concerns about a “slow and sloppy” start in his post-match interview.
“I’m very surprised by that because we talked about it, we showed videos. We knew exactly what was going to happen and it happened,” added Solskjaer. “We ran through the field and that’s not enough.”
But there was nothing sloppy about the Red Devils’ start against Leeds; The hosts started at a frantic pace and destroyed one of the most intense teams in the Premier League twice in the first three minutes.
It seems that Solskjaer’s message has been assimilated.
3. Bielsa’s bet fails
(Image: PA)
Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has made headlines for his transparency in match preparation in recent weeks, even naming his starting eleven to face West Ham earlier this month.
His last opening show before the game was declaring that he would not deviate from his usual high intensity attacking style for the trip to Manchester United.
“We will try to use our resources and we hope that they will be sufficient, without changing our style, to deal with their counterattacks and set pieces threats,” Bielsa said.
“There is a very safe way to do this by playing a neutral game, with us playing in our own half so there are no counterattacks. But we are not prepared to do that. “
They made for an entertaining watch, but Bielsa’s tactics didn’t pay off for Leeds as they found themselves 4-0 down after 37 minutes.
United made their way through their visitors on numerous occasions, while it was the selection of their incisive counterattacks that led to Bruno Fernandes’ goal in the 20th minute.
Leeds showed their own attacking intent and Patrick Bamford saw a goal chalked offside and efforts went wide and over the bar. Raphinha also impressed and had plenty of chances thanks to Leeds’ 59% possession.
But the visitors’ goals came when the game was already lost and the result serves as a reminder of why the newly promoted teams settled at Old Trafford on a deep block.
4. More excellence from Fernandes
(Image: PA)
Another two goals and one assist take Bruno Fernandes this season to 20 goals in 20 games in all competitions.
Remarkable numbers for a truly remarkable player.
Fernandes set Scott McTominay up for Game 1 and crashed a close-range effort into the bottom corner to put United 3-0 up in 20 minutes.
And the Portuguese showed typical toughness from the penalty spot to add United’s sixth from 12 yards after Anthony Martial was brought down in the area.
During the club’s uneven start to the season, Fernandes was the man who led United to positive results, often unaided.
But United have put the inconsistency behind them with a six-win streak in their last seven Premier League games, while six different Red Devils players have scored in their last two games.
Fernandes remains the club’s talisman and instrumental player on the pitch, but he will be relieved that his teammates are assuming and sharing the burden of responsibility.
5. A Valentine’s Day gift awaits you
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard and Tottenham manager José Mourinho have downplayed their teams’ title credentials over the past month.
But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer set out to do the opposite before the Leeds clash.
“We have to play one game at a time and improve as a team. Let’s see when we get to March, ”said the United manager.
The win over Leeds sends United third in the table, five points behind leaders Liverpool with one game less.
Tottenham have been touted as Liverpool’s closest rival, but fell to fifth place with a 2-0 loss at home to Leicester City on Sunday.
The Foxes’ victory in North London saw them take second place and sets up a delightful showdown on Boxing Day with Manchester United.
If United win at King Power on the 26th, it will close the gap at the top to just two points, building pressure on the Reds before their clash with Sam Allardyce’s West Brom the next day.
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