Man Utd masterclass: Pogba & Fernandes tear Leeds to shreds to get Old Trafford bouncing again
4 min read
Manchester United 5-1 Leeds United: Match Statistics
This was a matchday that for some had been 17 months in the making.
And for those Manchester United fans who haven’t been inside Old Trafford since Scott McTominay scored a screamer against Manchester City in March 2019, it proved a game worth waiting for, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side disposed of bitter rivals Leeds 5-1.
Solskjaer said he had never heard Old Trafford as loud as it was for that Manchester derby, but he might have to revise that statement now.
Old Trafford was bouncing as United opened their Premier League campaign in scintillating fashion.
Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes combined for a masterclass of devastating attacking football that left Leeds on the end of a big defeat at Old Trafford for the second season running.
Solskjaer gushed: « I couldn’t have asked for more. » And he was right.
The tone for a joyous afternoon for the home fans was set before the game even got under way when Raphael Varane was finally unveiled as a Manchester United player.
The £40 million ($50m) man came out holding his No.19 aloft to only add to the excitement of those already delighted just to be back in the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.
United’s title challenge may have faded away during the second half of last season but Solskjaer had stated in his pre-match press conference that a strong start was just as important to his side.
Citing Pep Guardiola, the Norwegian spoke about how league titles cannot be won in the first few weeks, but can be lost during that formative period. So, Solskjaer couldn’t have hoped for a better response from his players.
Paul Pogba was particularly impressive. Indeed, on this form, he is simply unplayable.
One, two, three, four: the assists kept racking up for the Frenchman as his defence-splitting passes left the Leeds backline in pieces.
By the end of his afternoon, he had created more Premier League goals in 90 minutes than he had over the course of the 2020-21 campaign (three).
The Frenchman’s first assist was a through ball for Fernandes that was expertly controlled by the Portugal international, who then beat Illan Meslier in the Leeds goal.
Luke Ayling gave the noisy travelling contingent something to celebrate as he scored a screamer shortly after the break but that shock equaliser was merely the cue for United to truly let loose.
Mason Greenwood, Fernandes (twice more) and even Fred got on the scoresheet, as Pogba added three more assists to his personal haul.
Despite all of the transfer talk, United are desperate to keep the World Cup winner at the club and, on Saturday, we saw why.
While Solskjaer has a squad of very good players, like Scott McTominay, who was excellent defensively and offensively against Leeds, Pogba is on another level.
Even those supporters who have doubts about the midfielder’s passion for the club must admit that they are a better team with him in it.
As Bruno told BT Sport afterwards, « People talk about the quality of Paul, but his quality is not in discussion. We know what he can do and today he showed that.
« He’s an important player for us. We know to expect these kind of performances from Paul. »
They weren’t the only players to impress, of course. As Solskjaer was at pains to point out, Greenwood also staked his claim for a regular starting spot.
He looked bright all afternoon and his finish from a sublime Pogba through-ball was both confident and clinical. « He’s become a man, » Solskjaer enthused in his post-match interview with BT Sport.
Still, with Bruno picking up where he left off last season, it might be hard for Greenwood or any other forward to replace the Portuguese as United’s most prolific player.
In just his fifth appearance at a packed Old Trafford, Bruno helped himself to a first hat-trick for the club.
It was only fitting, then, that the fans stayed long after the full-time whistle to serenade their team’s talisman.
By then, the supporters had even got their first glimpse of summer signing Jadon Sancho in a United shirt, with the winger looking lively during his late cameo appearance.
The expectation is that both he and Varane will have a transformative effect on this improving and already impressive United team.
United had to fight long and hard to sign both, but Sancho and Varane should prove worth waiting for, just like this joyous afternoon at a bouncing Old Trafford.
