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#1 Jose Mourinho's tactical masterclass
Say what you want about Jose Mourinho, say what you want about the cupped ears, the brickbats or the scowls... the Special One can still outwit the very best in the business and he proved that again today with his astute game-management, timely substitutions and the sheer sticktoitiveness mentality that he has instilled in his players.
Yes, they often leave it late to shift to fourth gear but you won't catch the traveling fans or the Stretford End covering their face in horror on going behind anymore. Today was quite unexpected though, it needs to be said. United would have, in fact, counted themselves lucky if they came away with a 1-0 defeat the way things were going at the 70 minute mark.
But Mourinho was going for the kill and made positive changes by bringing on Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata for the last quarter of an hour. Mata's spectacular freekick brought them level and it was Fellaini's menacing presence inside the area and a crucial touch at the end of a sumptuous Ashley Young set-piece delivery that helped bundle the ball into the back of the net in the 89th minute.
Juan Mata is writing yet another chapter in his United career. Anthony Martial was in quite the mood down the left flank once again and would have bagged an assist if Rashford had put the ball past Szczesny in the dying embers of the game.
Paul Pogba is starting to show his quality with great consistency and Smalling and Lindelof are building a formidable partnership at the back.
Those early season woes look heavily overstated now as Manchester United travel back to England with the wind in their sails to take on City in the Manchester derby this weekend. Pep Guardiola better pull out all stops to ensure they paint the city blue as this United side will not go down without a fight.
