5 Best Manchester United comebacks this season (2020/21)

Southampton v Manchester United - Premier League
Southampton v Manchester United - Premier League

#3 West Ham United 1-3 Manchester United

West Ham United v Manchester United - Premier League
West Ham United v Manchester United - Premier League

Out of all the come-from-behind victories on this list, the game against West Ham was one of the more surprising ones as it was the ultimate game of two halves. Traveling to West Ham between two crucial group stage UCL ties against PSG and RB Leipzig, Solskjaer could ill afford to select a full-strength lineup, choosing to rest the likes of Rashford and Fernandes.

They lived to regret that decision in the first half as West Ham ran riot over the Red Devils and took the lead via Thomas Soucek as he turned the ball in at the near post after Declan Rice set him up from a corner.

Apart from the one goal they did score, David Moyes' Hammers could have been up by two or three more goals as they tore the Red Devils apart in the first half.

Solskjaer then called for the cavalry as he sent on his two star men Rashford and Fernandes for the second half. All of a sudden, they appeared like a different outfit altogether and began to mount a comeback via Paul Pogba. Fernandes drove forward with the ball and found Pogba outside the box, and the Frenchman scored a scorching goal from range with a first-time hit past Lukasz Fabianski.

It was the first of three goals in their 13-minute blitz as Greenwood collected Alex Telles' cross, pulled off an outrageous skill to lob the ball past Angelo Ogbonna, and smashed the ball into the far right corner to give them the lead. United's devastating attack was too difficult for the Hammers to contain.

In the 78th minute, Rashford — who hit the post just minutes ago — latched onto one of the best passes of the season from Juan Mata to burst past the defence and chip Fabianski from distance. It was a sublime counter-attacking goal that added further gloss to a brilliant comeback win for the Red Devils at the London Stadium.


#2 Southampton 2-3 Manchester United

Southampton v Manchester United - Premier League
Southampton v Manchester United - Premier League

Much like their trip to West Ham, their game at St. Mary's was also a game of two very contrasting halves of football. The main difference, however, was that the Red Devils weren't nearly as poor in the first half against the Saints as they were in London. Rashford and Greenwood played as split strikers on the south coast and fashioned two very good opportunities for themselves in the first 45.

However, it was Southampton who did the damage in a ten-minute spell during the first half. Jan Bednarek rose highest to meet an expertly-delivered corner from James Ward-Prowse to find the back of the net. The English midfielder doubled their lead with a beautiful free-kick from the edge of the area to beat De Gea on his near post despite the Spaniard getting his hand to the strike on 33 minutes.

Solskjaer withdrew Greenwood at the break and sent on Cavani, and the Uruguayan led Manchester United to an inspired second-half display. Cavani bombed down the right flank and delivered a pin-point ball into the box to find Fernandes, whose intelligent touch and finish helped them claw one back on 60 minutes.

The former PSG superstar then popped up with an equaliser with just 15 minutes of regulation time on the clock with a poacher's finish as he headed the ball into the near-post from a deflected Fernandes strike.

As the game entered the final minute of injury time, Cavani came up clutch for his side with a brilliant stooping header.

Rashford found Cavani with a cross, and his angled header took the ball past Alex McCarthy to complete a complete majestic comeback. It was arguably one of the most enthralling wins of the campaign across the Premier League as Solskjaer's side came back to win the game from a 2-0 deficit.


#1 Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Premier League

Manchester United's fantastic win against former manager Jose Mourinho's Tottenham Hotspur is the latest addition to their lengthy list of come-from-behind wins, but it is arguably the best of the bunch. The Red Devils had a score to settle with the North London club after their historic 6-1 mauling at Old Trafford, and they did so in emphatic fashion.

Both sides took some time to settle in as it was a cagey 30-odd minutes to start off with. The game then sparked to life as a controversial VAR intervention chalked off a beautiful team goal for the Red Devils. Paul Pogba pulled off a superb through ball to breach Spurs' defence to find Edinson Cavani, whose low finish seemed to have broken the deadlock. However, VAR spotted a foul from Scott McTominay on Son Heung-Min in the build-up, leading to the goal being disallowed.

The decision was heavily criticised by experts and supporters alike, with many former players expressing that it was not a foul. Regardless, the score was back on level terms, but it remained that way for only seven minutes or so before Son capped off a brilliant team move with a measured near-post finish.

Solskjaer's men came out all guns blazing in the second half and played like a side with a point to prove after they were denied a breakthrough. United began to mount the pressure, and it paid off as Fred leveled the score on 57 minutes. The Brazilian finished a slick sequence of play involving Rashford, Fernandes and Cavani as he slotted the ball past an outstretched Lloris.

Mason Greenwood came off the bench for the last 20 minutes and, just a few minutes later, set up Cavani for the winning goal with a lovely curling cross from the edge of the area. The striker met it with a diving header and left Lloris with no chance of saving it.

As they entered the sixth and final minute of injury time, Pogba — who dazzled on the night against his former manager — was at it again as he effortlessly shrugged off Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to set up Greenwood. The teenager smashed the ball into the near post after leaving Sergio Reguilon in his tracks to put the icing on the cake for Manchester United. It was arguably one of the most thrilling halves of football the Red Devils have played this year.


Also read: Top 10 strikers in the world this season (2020/21)

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