FA Cup: Huddersfield Town 0-2 Manchester United - 5 Talking Points

Manchester United survived a stern test at the John Smith Stadium to overcome Huddersfield Town and progress to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Romelu Lukaku scored similar goals early in each half - starting the build-ups himself, receiving through-passes from Juan Mata and Alexis Sanchez respectively before holding off a Huddersfield defender to beat Lossl and grab a brace.

As far as David Wagner’s Huddersfield are concerned, they can now solely focus on securing survival in their first ever season in the Premier League, while for United it was the ideal preparation before travelling to Sevilla on Wednesday for their Champions League Round-of-16 first leg tie against the Spanish outfit.

Here are some of the talking points from the game:

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#1 Lukaku’s early strike eases United’s Pogba worries

Mourinho insisted that Pogba's illness caused him to miss the trip to Huddersfield

The build-up to this game was dominated with rumours of unrest in the dressing room between Jose Mourinho and Manchester United’s world-record signing Paul Pogba regarding the role of the latter in the team. Usually thriving in a free role, Pogba was reported to be displeased of having to sit in a deeper position in a 4-2-3-1 formation, contributing to his poor performances of late.

More eyebrows were raised when hours before United’s trip to the John Smith stadium, Paul Pogba was ruled out of the entire squad due to ‘illness’. Reports suggested that he had been given the axe owing to his recent performances, which were curtly dismissed by Jose Mourinho in his pre-kickoff interview.

However, once the players took to the field, United allayed their off-the-field worries in less than 180 seconds. Romelu Lukaku held the ball up for a while, before feeding Juan Mata. The playmaker then sent the forward through with a neat defence-splitting pass. Lukaku cut inside Terriers’ captain Christopher Schindler, before slamming a shot inside the near post past a wrong-footed Jonas Lossl to give the visitors a much-needed lead.

The Pogba rumours could be shelved for the moment.

#2 Huddersfield dominate the first half after going behind, but fail to capitalise

Collin Quaner gave Luke Shaw a run for his money

Lukaku’s goal was hardly a prelude to what was in store for the viewers, as Huddersfield Town responded to falling behind in emphatic fashion. They pressed United’s defenders on the ball, not allowing them to string together more than two or three passes in midfield.

An agitated Mourinho saw his side put all hands on deck, as the likes of Florent Hadergjonaj – all the way from right-back and Collin Quaner stormed forward on multiple occasions, putting one quality cross after the other to put the centre-halves to test.

Luke Shaw was struggling to track back, Nemanja Matic and Michael Carrick were bullied to losing the ball by the quick-pressing Rajiv van la Parra and Phillip Billing. Forward Tom Ince fluffed two excellent opportunities from perfectly weighed crosses across the face of goal and United goal-keeper Sergio Romero had to get strong hands behind a series of well-struck shots from long-range.

It was an unbelievable display by Wagner’s side in the opening 45 minutes without reward against a well-organised United defence.

#3 VAR comes into play as Mata’s goal is ruled out for offside

Manchester United's players await Kevin Friend's decision after consulting VAR

The encounter was hand-picked as one of those that would be part of the trial run for the Video Assistant Referee system in a bid to iron out close calls that may potentially affect the result of a game like offsides, challenges inside the penalty area and controversial sendings-off.

Before long, the system was called into action as the ball struck Chris Smalling’s arm as he tried to deal with a Huddersfield corner. After on-field referee Kevin Friend briefly consulted the VAR, Neil Swarbrick at the VAR Quarters in London, a decision was reached that the ball came too quickly amongst the crowd of players inside the box to Smalling to deem that he had not intentionally handled the ball. No penalty.

However, the actual competency of the system was called into question at the stroke of half-time, when Juan Mata latched onto a Ashley Young cross before rounding the keeper and smartly slotting into an empty net to make it 2-0 to the visitors. Apparently.

The linesman had kept his flag down, so the Huddersfield players asked the question of offside. After a lengthy delay, Friend finally signalled the box to indicate that the VAR had overturned the decision and Mata was inches offside when he received the ball from Young. It was nothing more than Huddersfield deserved after a breathtaking performance; going 2-0 down would have been a cruel blow for the hosts.

The lines used to review the offside call are clearly not parallel to the edge of the 18-yard box

The controversy had only just begun. As the teams were having their half-time team-talks, replays showed that the digital lines used to review offside calls were not parallel to the lines on the pitch, questioning the very basis on which Mata was ruled offside. The time taken to arrive at the decision was also a massive talking point, claiming to interrupt the flow of the game.

This was shown to viewers only during the second half, where Mata is correctly adjudged to be offside

It took almost until midway through the second half for the blue lines to be rectified and showed to viewers that Mata was indeed offside, quelling initial concerns about the use of VAR in football. This was a live example of the challenges of the VAR system and one hopes that in due course, the flaws are rectified.

#4 Lukaku’s second dents Huddersfield’s pace and confidence levels

Lukaku was clinical for the visitors

Huddersfield picked up from where they had left off at the end of the first half, taking the game to the opposition and winning free-kicks in dangerous areas. However, like in the early periods of the first half, they were dealt an undeserving hammer blow as Lukaku repeated his skills in the build up to the first goal, holding off an opposition defender before slotting home to give the visitors a cushion.

Two shots on target, two goals for United. It was a ruthlessly clinical performance from United’s No.9 and his second paved the way for United to enjoy more time on the ball as Huddersfield heads began to drop. All their work-rate, intensity and chance-creation had counted for nothing.

As the game wore on, the signs of fullbacks Hadergjonaj and Terrence Kongolo charging up the pitch began to wither, so was the desire of van la Parra to chase after the ball every time United had possession. Even the introduction of fresh-legged fullbacks did not create any impact.

Any Mourinho team after going two to the good play with a single objective - to see out proceedings. Apart from Morrocan substitute Sabbir’s header that looped over the crossbar, there was no creativity and pace displayed by the Terriers in the final third of the game. The midfield trio of Carrick, Matic and Scott McTominay had shut all doors on Wagner’s side by then.

#1 How will Manchester United set up against Sevilla?

McTominay was in good touch against the Terriers and could push to be involved against Sevilla

Based on today’s performance, Jose Mourinho may well accept that playing a 4-3-3 formation and giving the two number eights (midfielders either side of the defensive midfielder) the freedom to express themselves going forward suits this United side more than the conservative double-sitting midfielder based 4-2-3-1 style.

Pogba – should he fully recover from illness – is most likely to benefit from this formation as he has proved in the past. McTominay – with a bright performance both in an attacking sense and defensively – may just have made a late bid for the third midfielder’s slot in a 4-3-3 against Sevilla.

The academy graduate drove forward, was composed on the ball and looked the least likely to give in to Huddersfield pressure in the middle of the park. He got in crucial interceptions and tackles when Huddersfield dominated in the first half and when they made desperate attempts to salvage a comeback late on.

United’s biggest positive was the sight of defender Eric Bailly coming on as an injury-time substitute with the proceedings academic by then. The Ivorian defender, who has missed the majority of the season as he required surgery on his ankle, is expected to bring some solidity and robustness into a United defence that has been suspect in recent away reverses against Tottenham and Newcastle United.

Young could return to left-back after Luke Shaw struggled to track back Hadergjonaj on various occasions as he ran the flank, while the likes of Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia and David De Gea are set to be restored into the starting XI for United’s first Champions League knockout clash in nearly four years since they were eliminated by Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage in 2014.