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The Red Devils began their 2019-20 Premier League campaign with a 4-0 rout of Chelsea. Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, and Daniel James were on the scoresheet.
Chelsea had a glorious chance to open the scoring early on as Tammy Abraham saw his right-footed punt rattle the crossbar. The visitors controlled proceedings for much of the opening twenty minutes but fell behind in the 18th minute after Marcus Rashford converted from the spot. He was brought down clumsily by Kurt Zouma.
Frank Lampard's side ended the first half on a positive note and were unlucky not to have equalised after Emerson's attempt hit David De Gea's goal post. Despite starting the second half as they ended the first, the Blues found themselves two goals down in the 65th minute via an Anthony Martial tap in.
Matters only got worse for the visitors as a three-minute blitzkrieg from the Red Devils saw Rashford triple their lead in the 67th minute. United completed the rout nine minutes from time as debutant Daniel James slotted the ball past a helpless Kepa Arrizabalaga.
On that note, let us take a look at the hits and flops from the clash at Old Trafford.
#5 Hit: Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba made a great start to his Premier League campaign by putting in a dominant shift in midfield.
Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, started with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Pogba and McTominay forming a double pivot protecting the back four of Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, and Shaw.
Pogba functioned as the link between defence and attack, and the French international made several crucial tackles and interceptions. He constantly disrupted Chelsea's attacks throughout the game.
He used his physicality to great effect, winning the all-important midfield battle. He kept the likes of Kovacic and Barkley quiet for much of the game. Also, Pogba's positioning was spot on as he took advanced positions which helped United wreak havoc on the counter.
The former Juventus man notched two assists against Chelsea, as his delightful passes to Rashford and James saw United complete a 4-0 rout in their opening fixture. Overall, Pogba made 10 recoveries and created the most chances (6) during the match.
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#4 Flop: Mateo Kovacic
Mateo Kovacic was far from impressive in Chelsea's defeat to Manchester United. Kovacic operated on the left-hand side of central midfield, forming a double pivot with Jorginho.
Kovacic was tasked with the job of evading United's press and forming a link between attack and defence, as Chelsea relied on his passing range and composure whilst in possession. Instead, the Croatian was dominated in midfield by the duo of Pogba and McTominay.
The former Real Madrid man did not play in-between the lines and often lacked ideas in the final third. This resulted in United not having much trouble whilst defending against their opponents.
Kovacic did not communicate well with the likes of Barkley and Jorginho. This left glaring gaps in midfield which were duly exploited by United's forward line. This was visible in the build-up to United's fourth goal, as Pogba ran at Chelsea's defence, assisting Daniel James.
In spite of possessing a pass accuracy of 91 per cent and completing the most dribbles (5) in the game, Kovacic lacked ideas and did not convert those numbers into meaningful chances. This enabled Chelsea to end up on the wrong side of a 4-0 drubbing.
#3 Hit: Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Last season, Manchester United lacked a quality right-back, causing United's defence to leak quite a few goals from the right. This prompted the signing of Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Wan-Bissaka started his United career on a bright note, as he put in a commanding display in United's 4-0 defeat of Chelsea. The former Crystal Palace player showed exactly why United spent the big bucks on him. His solid defensive display ensured the likes of Barkley and Pedro had little joy down the right side of United's defence.
The Englishman was unfazed by the proposition of facing a tricky opposition in Chelsea and held his nerve by making several well-timed tackles and interceptions, snuffing out any danger from the right. Wan-Bissaka balanced his attacking and defensive responsibilities to great effect, earning a well deserved clean sheet on his debut.
Wan-Bissaka ended the game with a pass accuracy rate of 86 per cent, won 9 out of 11 duels, made three recoveries, and completed 4 tackles (the most any player made during the game).
#2 Flop: Kurt Zouma
Kurt Zouma had a torrid evening as his side lost to Manchester United in gameweek 1.
Zouma started on the left side of the central defence, as he partnered Andreas Christensen in a new-look Chelsea backline. Things didn't go according to plan for the Frenchman, because he was responsible for the penalty which led to United's first goal. He clumsily brought Rashford down in the box.
Before the penalty, Zouma had also misplaced a pass, which went unpunished as Martial directed his effort straight at Kepa.
Zouma panicked while in possession and made some reckless tackles which resulted in United winning possession in vital areas. The lack of communication between Zouma, Christensen, and Jorginho saw gaps form between defence and midfield, resulting in United causing havoc down the middle.
The CB could not cope with Rashford and Martial's pace, and he also got booked in the 36th minute after a late challenge on Andreas Pereira.
#1 Hit: Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford made a fantastic start to his Premier League campaign with a brace against Chelsea.
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer started Rashford on the left flank, with Anthony Martial deployed as a striker. Both Rashford and Martial linked up well and interchanged positions on numerous occasions, making it difficult for Chelsea's defence to track their movement.
Rashford made a bursting run through the middle of Chelsea's defence and was brought down by Kurt Zouma in the 17th minute. He converted the resultant penalty with great ease, giving his side a valuable 1-0 lead at a stage when Chelsea was in control of the game.
The English international used his pace to devastating effect, and also caught Chelsea's defence off-guard with his well-timed runs, especially during the build-up to United's third goal. He finished off Pogba's delightfully weighted ball, slotting past Kepa Arrizabalaga for the third.
Rashford put in a solid performance, and it will give Solksjaer cause for optimism heading into the season, as Romelu Lukaku was sold to Inter Milan for a reported fee of £80 million without a replacement coming in.
