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A NEW YEAR and old Manchester United. One who is a contender for the title again.
For the first time since they last lifted the Premier League in 2013, there is a genuine belief that they can.
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It took four managers, 36 players bought, and around £ 1 trillion spent to get to this point.
A place where they once again look like a side that can end up.
It is a place that they now share with the champion Liverpool in points, they are second only on goal difference.
Anthony Martial’s goal in the 40th minute was leveled by Bertrand Traore in the 58th, but just two minutes later the ever-reliable Bruno Fernandes converted from the spot to win all three points.
This was an eighth win of their last ten in the league, the other two draws.
They last lost on November 1 at home to Arsenal. That’s the kind of consistency that makes champions.
It was another deserved victory here against one of the reported Premier League teams that had gone undefeated in December.
They are certainly a very different proposition to the last time the two teams met in July, when United’s 3-0 victory left Dean Smith’s team four points from safety.
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Solskjaer knew they had to be at their best and from kick-off they weren’t far from that.
Fred and Scott McTominay were back together in the engine room.
Fernandes pulled the strings further forward and Paul Pogba once again looked more like the player who starred at Juventus influencing things from the left.
That position more in the field certainly suits him.
It was the remembered Martial who provided the threat of goal and got a good save from Emiliano Martínez in a brilliant opening.
United’s slow starts are now a thing of the past and after a great mannequin from Pogba, Fred had a shot that he shot.
When Pogba threw a deep ball from deep for Fernandes, Martinez had to run off his line and clear his head.
Fernandes was there again with a shot over the angle before United made the breakthrough their football deserved and what a good goal too.
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First, Pogba threw a high ball, tossed it over John McGinn and headed it toward Marcus Rashford.
Solskjaer has brought a lot to Rashford’s game, especially in the confidence department.
He’s not afraid to try things out and they usually turn out like it did here with a first movie that sent Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right.
He crossed to the six-yard box, Tyrone Mings missed with a header attempt and Martial connected with a wink from his own past Martinez.
But the visitors left after the break at full throttle.
When Grealish reached for the far post, Ollie Watkins was sure he had scored with a header until the tips of De Gea’s fingers deflected the ball over the crossbar.
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Then in 58 minutes, they were level.
United and Wan-Bissaka in particular were asleep while complaining about a free kick award.
Grealish was free on the left and McGinn was alert.
United were all over the place, Grealish found Traore at the far post and beat an exposed De Gea.
The response from the locals was immediate with Pogba entering the area and being shot down by Douglas Luiz.
Fernandes did the rest from the spot for his 15th goal of the season and 11th in the Premier League.
No team has a better record in the league since Fernandes made his debut for United on February 1: 65 points from 30 games to 62 for Liverpool.
It is the signing that has changed the course of Solskjaer, a man who continues to fight against those who doubt his credentials as a United manager.
It has been a little over two years since he assumed the position of caregiver.
Doubts about the wisdom of that appointment have never been very far despite the great advances of last season.
The club has kept the faith, Solskjaer has been remarkably stoic about the constant question marks about his position.
Finally, the next appointment of Mauricio Pochettino at PSG will put an end to these speculations.
Still, the pace of Solskjaer’s progression can’t slow down
The looming upcoming dates with Manchester City in the EFL Cup semi-final and Liverpool in the league may offer more hope for a return to the glory days.
They have to travel to Burnley first in the league, but what a competition that promises to be now at Anfield.
They travel there without fear, with confidence in the clouds.
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