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Manchester United continued their good run of form, with a 3-0 victory over Derby County at Pride Park, making it nine games unbeaten in all competitions and cruising to the quarter-final of the FA Cup where they would face Norwich City.
This was the third straight season that the two sides clashed in the Cup, with Frank Lampard famously eliminating Jose Mourinho's men at Old Trafford on penalties in September 2018. However, there was no repeat performance this time, with the Mancunians ruining Wayne Rooney's night against his former side.
Luke Shaw got the ball rolling in fortuitous fashion in the 33rd minute and Odion Ighalo made it 2-0 with a well-taken strike before putting the game beyond the home side when he got his brace in the second half.
There were several players who starred in the convincing victory and here, we shall be having a rundown of five players who impressed for Manchester United.
#5 Fred
Fred has been one of the most consistent performers in Manchester United's recent games and the Brazilian put up another fine display at the heart of the Red Devils midfield against Derby County.
The 27-year-old started alongside Scott McTominay and was easily one of the best players in a red shirt, combining effectively to curb the threat posed by Wayne Rooney and Louie Sibley for their Championship opponents.
Although United's superior possession meant that they were rarely threatened, the home side fashioned some brilliant team moves to drive at Sergio Romero's goal but Fred was almost always on hand to halt their surge.
The former Shakhtar man completed 88.5% of his passes and made three tackles before his substitution for Anthony Martial in the 73rd minute.
Also Read: Rooney hopes teenage team-mates can learn from Man Utd defeat
#4 Scott McTominay
Having been sidelined with an injury since December, Scott McTominay's presence in midfield was sorely missed. Despite not being the most technically gifted player, the Scottish international makes up for this with his passion and commitment to the United cause.
He marked his return to the starting lineup with an excellent goal in the 5-0 demolition of Club Brugge in the Europa League and put in another fine shift at the base of midfield.
Against the Rams, McTominay completed a game-high 98.2% of his passes, while he also contributed five tackles, two interceptions, and one clearance to help his side keep a clean sheet.
#3 Sergio Romero
A glance at the scoreline would suggest that Derby County were good value for the defeat and while they were by far second-best in front of their fans, the Championship side deserved to score at least a goal for their efforts.
They fashioned some good chances in the game but always met a brick wall in the person of Sergio Romero who was on hand to thwart everything that came his way.
The 33-year-old pulled off two fine saves to keep out freekicks by Wayne Rooney, while he also kept out Max Bird, Jason Knight, and Jack Marriott to keep the error-prone David de Gea on his toes.
Also Read: United untroubled as Rooney gets tributes but no triumph at Pride Park
#2 Luke Shaw
Luke Shaw is one of the most divisive figures in the Manchester United squad, with fans not knowing what to expect from him as he is capable of a fine display and a horrendous one in almost equal measure.
However, the general consensus is that he has not fulfilled the promise he showed at Southampton that prompted Manchester United to make him the most expensive teenager in football history, thanks in no small part to injury troubles.
Against Derby, the 24-year-old turned in a fine performance, holding down the left wing in style and opened the scoring when he converted in the 33rd minute after Kelle Roos had denied Bruno Fernandes and Juan Mata in quick succession.
There was an element of fortune about his goal, with the poorly struck ball bouncing off the turf and over Roos into the back of the net, not that the England international would care one bit.
Shaw proved to be a threat going forward, hitting the target with two of his three shots, while he also registered the assist for Odion Ighalo's first goal and completed over 90% of his passes before being replaced by Brandon Williams.
#1 Odion Ighalo
With priority placed on the Premier League and Europa League, Odion Ighalo was handed his second start in a Manchester United shirt and he once again marked the occasion with a well-taken goal.
He had forced Kelle Roos into a fine save from an acute angle in the 31st minute but he was not to be denied two minutes later when he picked up Luke Shaw's pass and showed great technique and skill to skip past the challenges of Craig Forsyth and Max Lowe before slotting into the net.
A second was gotten in equally brilliant fashion, with the Edo native converting into the roof of the net with an explosive left-footed finish after his initial shot had been saved by the Derby goalkeeper and could have grabbed a hat-trick late on but was under pressure and missed the target.
It was an all-round brilliant performance from the former Nigerian international, with 100% of his tackles won, 100% aerial challenges won, and 80% shot accuracy, while his brace made him the first African to score two goals for Manchester United since Quinton Fortune in 2004.
There were more than a few sneers and criticism when he completed his deadline-day loan move from Shanghai Shenhua but his Ighalo's predatory movement and keen eye for goal would make him very crucial for the home-run of the season.
