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Manchester United travelled to Kenilworth Road to face Luton Town in their 2020-21 Carabao Cup opener on Tuesday. The Red Devils were hoping for a quick return to winning ways after a disastrous start to the season at home against Crystal Palace.
However, the Red Devils could not afford to underestimate their hosts as the Hatters were no pushovers. Luton had won all of their four games this season that included two wins in the Carabao Cup and as many in the Championship. They had scored seven goals and conceded just two during this period and were third in the Championship.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who would have abhorred the lackluster display on Saturday, hoped for a response from his team.
Also Read: Manchester United 1-3 Crystal Palace: 5 players who fared poorly for the Red Devils.
Five Manchester United players who impressed against Luton Town
The visitors started brightly, as expected, but the hosts soon grew into the game. However, Williams won Manchester United a penalty late in the first half, which Mata converted to give his team the lead just before the break. In the second half, the Red Devils stayed in control before late goals from substitutes Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood summed up a comfortable win.
Manchester United gave Solskjaer the response that he demanded, and the Norwegian will be especially pleased with the performances of these five players who particularly impressed against the Hatters.
#5 Dean Henderson
The Englishman had always reiterated his desire to play for Manchester United, and after a brilliant season on loan to Sheffield United, he was ready to push David De Gea for the number one position. But even Dean Henderson knew that he had to be patient when coming up against the Spaniard, and so he would have been licking his lips at the prospect of making his first start for the Red Devils against Luton Town.
For the majority of the game, Henderson was a spectator. Even though the Hatters enjoyed a fair bit of possession in the middle of the first half, they rarely threatened his goal. Just when it seemed like it would be a quiet night for the Englishman, he was called to duty. And Henderson responded in typical fashion.
In the 81st minute, the Hatters, eager to price away an equaliser, attempted to throw the kitchen sink at Manchester United. It almost worked, as a header from Tom Lockyer looked set to sneak in, but Dean Henderson had other ideas.
In the blink of an eye, the Englishman stretched out his right palm to stop the ball from crossing the line. It was a brilliant save that kept Manchester United in the game and perhaps gave the visitors the platform to increase their lead through Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.
In his first start for Manchester United, Henderson came away with a hard-fought clean sheet. David De Gea will now be keeping a close eye on him.
#4 Fred
Fred was having a breakthrough season in Manchester United colours when the Pogba-Fernandes-Matic trident hit it off last term. The Brazilian was an unfortunate victim of the efficiency of that midfield setup that powered Manchester United to third in the league.
Even though he was overlooked for the first Premier League game of the season, against the Hatters, Fred was afforded a chance to stake his claim for a place in the Manchester United midfield, an opportunity he took with both hands.
The Brazilian was a bundle of energy on the pitch, running around like a man possessed, covering every blade of grass on the ground. His work rate was commendable; Fred combined resolute defending with clever forward runs to help his team in control of the midfield. He was relentless in the middle of the pitch, throwing in tackles, striving to win back the ball and covering for the marauding full-backs.
Fred put in a decent audition for the permanent role in the midfield and helped Manchester United win the game.
#3 Brandon Williams
Brandon Williams’ emergence last season pushed Luke Shaw to the limits of his abilities. Such was the impact of the teenager that Shaw had to play out of his skin to keep his position in the Manchester United playing-XI. However, the youngster lost a bit of his zeal and bite by the end of the season as his legs seemed to catch up with him. Against the Hatters, though, Williams showed signs of a return to his previous form.
The Englishman was full of running and did not give the hosts' backline a moment’s respite on the night. Williams spent a chunk of the game closer to the opposition box and required no invitation to bomb forward.
Williams combined well with Lingard and Mata and hugged the touchline, freeing up space around the box for the midfielders to operate. His one-touch play inside the box was excellent at times and had Mata not miscued a glorious opportunity, Williams would even have picked up an assist.
However, Williams did not ignore his defensive responsibilities either. He was tenacious as usual and tracked back every run diligently. But some of his best work was done in and around the opposition box. It was here that he won the penalty that helped Manchester United take the lead and ultimately win the game.
#2 Eric Bailly
The Ivorian was the most probable choice to replace the erroneous Victor Lindelof in the Manchester United first-XI.
Solskjaer gave Bailly his first start of the season on Tuesday night, and the player did not disappoint. The Ivorian brought a calming presence alongside Maguire that enabled the Manchester United skipper to venture forward with greater adventure. The Ivorian himself kept the ball moving around well and showed decent positional awareness.
Bailly was solid with his tackles and covered his ground well. He was not risk-averse but did not dive around either. His controlled aggression and composure was a welcome addition to the Manchester United backline.
On the few occasions that the Hatters tried to counter-attack, Bailly used his speed and understanding of the game to thwart the home side. He even managed an outstanding goal-line clearance in the dying moments of the game with the score at 1-0.
Even when Maguire was caught out of position a couple of times, Bailly covered very well for his defensive partner, showing signs of a budding partnership. Solskjaer could be tempted to stick with the Ivorian for the weekend’s game after seeing an assured performance from the player on the night.
#1 Juan Mata
The Spaniard registered Manchester United’s first shot on target as early as the fourth minute, and it was a sign of things to come.
Mata started in the right-forward role but was allotted the freedom to drift inwards and switch flanks. That resulted in the Spaniard operating across the front-line and creating all sorts of trouble for the home side.
Mata built up a quick understanding with Van de Beek who played an excellent dummy to help the Spaniard register his first shot on target. The two of them found each other around the box with uncanny ease.
The Spaniard’s movement inside the box was outstanding; he took up little pockets of spaces around the area and orchestrated the Manchester United attack with ease. Mata continued to be Manchester United’s main threat, pulling the strings and picking out teammates in good positions.
When Williams won the spot-kick, the Spaniard stepped up and sent James Shea the wrong way to give his team the lead. By the time he made way for Mason Greenwood in the 78th minute, Mata had all but ensured Manchester United’s progress to the next round.
Also Read: Top 4 alternatives to Victor Lindelof in the current Manchester United squad.
