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A stunning second-half double from star man Paul Pogba ensured a second consecutive victory under new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for Manchester United as they comprehensively outplayed Huddersfield Town in their 3-1 triumph.
The former Norway international was warmly welcomed by his fans in his first home game in charge as caretaker boss, but it took a while for his side to break the deadlock.
It took 28 minutes to crack open a packed Huddersfield back line, with Nemanja Matic stabbing home his first league goal since March. The hosts held their heads high going into the break, but everybody knew the job was only half done.
The Terriers tried to put themselves back on level terms with 45 minutes to go, but only sporadically. Laurent Depoitre drew a world-class stop from David de Gea, who literally flew out of his line to keep his side in front. That moment, according to the gaffer, was the turning point of the game.
"That [De Gea save] was the defining moment of the game. It was one of the best saves I have ever seen. That was a big, big moment for us," said Ole, after the game.
Moments later, on the back of a well-crafted run by Juan Mata, Paul Pogba slotted one past Jonathan Lossl to leave the visitors with a herculean task. The Frenchman then sealed the deal for his side 14 minutes later with a resplendent strike from 25-30 yards out.
Mathias Jorgensen's 88th-minute goal was indeed, a scant consolation.
The win took the Red Devils to within six points of Arsenal, who later dropped points at Brighton. Regardless, it was a convincing, comfortable and fine display by the hosts.
On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why Manchester United beat Huddersfield Town:
#1 The right squad rotation
Solksjaer made three changes to the side that thumped Cardiff City four days back, with Ashley Young, Anthony Martial and Ander Herrera making way for Diogo Dalot, Juan Mata and outcast Fred.
The former Norway international knew it was important to have a few fresh legs in the squad, owing to the busy festive period. He stuck to a specific game plan and shape and hence, deployed these players with specific roles.
All three of them put in good shifts and earned a vital result for the team. Mata was given a free role but the Spaniard chose to run the game from deeper positions, which offered license to the likes of Martial, Pogba and Lingard to push higher up the pitch.
Fred sprayed passes around and looked very comfortable in the opening exchanges and although he regressed as time wore on, the Brazilian showed he can play in a two-man midfield as well.
Dalot was an obvious substitution for Young, who might not have been at his sharpest, given the workload in recent weeks. The starlet impressed on the attacking front and defended with conviction as well.
In the end, it was about backing the strengths of the team and making the right choices and substitutions. Ole Gunnar Solksjaer did just that by rotating his squad, whilst preparing for the next home game against Bournemouth at the same time.
#2 Huddersfield's deep defensive line
Manchester United looked simply relentless, but Huddersfield surely did not help themselves. They held a deep back line, filled it with sturdy midfielders and used the aerial route, set pieces and counter-attacks as their weapons while venturing forward.
It worked until the half-hour mark as United were clearly held, but once the goal came, the Terriers barely looked like testing David de Gea, apart from one or two occasions. They tried to shut down another goal and without much purpose in the final third, struggled big time. Wagner did not commit enough bodies forward and the wide men attempt no dribbles either.
Coming to the defensive point of view, you cannot give acres of space to Paul Pogba, who can absolutely own the pace of the game if given time. The same goes for Mata. With Matic playing as a watchdog, a lot of freedom was provided to Pogba and Mata.
Despite that, the Terriers refused to press or exert any pressure on the Red Devils. Two goals from Pogba was a consequence of the same.
#3 Crowding the flanks as a disguise
Sometimes, it felt like United were running circles around the Terriers. Other times, it looked like they were miles ahead of their opponents in terms of approach.
Often, the likes of Shaw and Rashford crowded the left flank and drew bodies wider. Down the other side, it was Lingard and Dalot doing the same. Due to the narrow positioning of the Huddersfield back line, a lot of space was created in the central areas, where Pogba and Matic were waiting.
The former received the ball in those areas, linked up play beautifully, interchanged passes, and one-twos, thereby establishing complete control of proceedings.
As a disguise, the wider areas were occupied in order to free up space in the middle. Quick passes and the guile of Paul Pogba led to the two second-half goals, a sense of confusion among the opposition defenders and the three points for Manchester United.
