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A statement win for Jose Mourinho's Manchester United got them underway against West Ham United. The Red Devils 'hammered' the Hammers 4-0 at Old Trafford with the season opener proving to be a walk in the park for the hosts. Romelu Lukaku had a debut to remember for United as the towering Belgian scored a brace, a goal on either side of the half, to take the match away from the visitors.
Second half substitute, Anthony Martial scored one and created another as he staked his claim in the United started eleven. Paul Pogba scored the fourth and put the cherry on top in what was a dominating performance from start to end. West Ham never really looked threatening with all the new signings failing to create the right impact. On that note, here are the talking points from United's cruising victory over West Ham United:
#1 A debut to remember for Red Rom
The former Everton man had his doubters when he signed for Manchester United for £75 million but going by tonight's performances, he looked to be the real deal. Lukaku was unstoppable against the Hammers with the new signing leading the line perfectly and combining well with the other attackers.
He looked threatening when combining with Marcus Rashford who cut inside on his right foot at will tonight. Lukaku loves scoring against West Ham and continued his red hot streak against them - 9 goals in the last 10 appearances. The 24-year-old is already looking like an inspired buy for the Manchester side and a signing which can take them closer to the holy grail that is the Premier League trophy.
#2 Disappointing return for Javier Hernandez
The Mexican hitman was expected to start from the bench tonight but manager Slaven Bilic gave him a surprise start. Chicharito returned to the Theatre of Dreams for the first time since leaving in 2014 for Real Madrid. But it turned out to be a rather indifferent return for the once loved striker of Old Trafford as his West Ham side simply failed to turn up.
West Ham played in a 4-3-3 formation with Marko Arnautovic and Andre Ayew playing on the wings. But as the game went on, the wingers had to drop deep which led to Hernandez being isolated as the sole striker. The Hammers failed to provide the required service to Hernandez with the innocent looking assassin seeming to fight a lost battle.
Chicharito took the least amount of touches in the match for any player amongst the two teams which aptly reflects his ineffectiveness in the game.
#3 Nemanja Matic proves his worth for Mourinho...yet again
In a game week where the reigning champions, Chelsea, got off to the worst possible start with a 3-2 defeat against Burnley, their former player Nemanja Matic bossed the midfield around for Manchester United. The Serbian looked intent on getting on the ball tonight and was one of United's best players.
He was afforded way too much time on the ball which led to Matic dictating the tempo of the game. He was brilliant in the air and also made numerous important interceptions. His most important contribution came in the form of shielding the back line with effectivity which led Paul Pogba to run riot in a free roaming role.
#4 West Ham United still a work in progress
Playing Manchester United away in the first match of the season can prove to be a big ask for any team with the Hammers proving no exception. But Bilic's men should not lose hope and try to get amongst the points in their next two fixtures - against Southampton and Newcastle United.
West Ham spent £41 million on signing the duo of Chicharito and Arnautovic. But the duo along with Ayew proved to be ineffective as these three attackers need playing time together to gel well. There is no doubt that West Ham have done tremendous business this summer and can challenge for the Europa League spots.
#5 Early signs suggest that the title might be on its way to Manchester
The opening weekend of the Premier League proved to be one of the most interesting beginning to the league campaign. Arsenal survived a scare against Leicester City but Chelsea and Liverpool could not start their journey with a win. Though Tottenham Hotspur won their game 2-0 against Newcastle United, it was the Manchester clubs which caught everyone's eyes with their dominating performances.
Manchester City started their campaign with just a 2-0 win against Brighton and Hove Albion but the team looked threatening as a unit and judging by their performance on Saturday, they looked like the team to beat. Their neighbours, Manchester United upped the ante and smashed home all three points with a literally scary performance against their opponents. Guessing by the start to this season, we predict a direct fight between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola for the Premier League crown.
