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8 wins in his first 8 games, which includes victories at Arsenal and Tottenham. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made the whole world sit up and take notice now.
He has returned United to the customary attractive brand of football, and he has managed to rotate his squad quite effectively too. The Norwegian made 5 changes to his first team against Arsenal, yet United never looked laboured for the entire 90 minutes.
Solskjaer is the man with a plan and his assessment of his opposition has been spot on yet again. On Friday, he read Arsenal's weaknesses well, capitalized on them and won the game.
United have now scored 22 goals and conceded just 5 goals in their last 8 games. It is an astonishing change of fortunes for the club, who had been slipping dangerously down into dangerous waters under Mourinho.
Solskjaer's appointment has been just what the players needed, as every single one of them has shown signs of improvement in the last month. Against Arsenal, even though the entire team worked hard as a unit, these 6 men were brilliant for their manager.
#6 Nemanja Matic
The Serbian had been asked to ensure that Arsenal could not dictate the game from the middle of the park and he did just that. Matic was full of energy and running in the middle, closing down the opposition, however, he was also influential in his own penalty box.
Solskjaer knew the threat that the Arsenal team possessed, and as such, Matic had a restricted role on the night. He did venture forward on the odd occasions, but his most important duty was to win the ball and look ahead to see if any of his forward players were free.
It was a role that he played out to perfection and as such all of the front three were continuously fed with glorious balls from the deep.
Even though the Serbian was stellar in the middle of the park, his prime role unfurled inside his own box. As the Gunners continuously pegged the Red Devils back into their box, Matic aided his defence well, which meant that even though Arsenal had 13 shots, only 5 of them were on target.
Nemanja Matic was brilliant on the night for his manager and played an important part in securing the win.
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#5 Victor Lindelof
With every passing game, the Swede seems to be growing in stature. Against Arsenal, he had Eric Bailly for company, a player he has rarely played with in recent past, yet Lindelof ensured that it was hardly an issue. Bailly was instantly comfortable alongside a calm and composed partner and together, they frustrated the Arsenal attack throughout the game.
Lindelof was particularly impressive with his tackles and his awareness in his own box. He was unlucky for the goal because he had almost managed to stop the pass with his outstretched boot.
Yet, once the goal was conceded, he looked more determined than ever and every time Arsenal came up, Lindelof was a beast in the defence. He threw his body on the line, jumped the highest to clear the ball and he looked inspired to keep United's lead intact. In the end, Martial's goal ensured that his efforts bore fruit.
The Swede was also impressive yet again with his abilities on the ball, as he quickly initiated counters from the box at times, finding his forwards and helping them catch the Gunners defence off guard.
#4 Romelu Lukaku
When Romelu Lukaku started on the right, many United fans would have shaken their heads in disbelief. The striker normally had one of the poorest first touches on the ball in the team and his effectiveness on the right were questionable. Yet, as the game progressed, it turned out to be Solskjaer's master plan and the Belgian played the role to near perfection.
As Arsenal broke away to find the opening goal and Kolasinac bombed forward, the Arsenal left-back left a lot of spaces open behind him, where Lukaku lurked, waiting for the through ball. True to United's tactics, that ball arrived, again and again, and the United Striker then used his robust frame and scintillating speed to good effect.
The Belgian broke free on quite a few occasions, yet it was his decisive passing in a space of three minutes that had United 2-0. First, he showed Iniesta-esque passing to release Sanchez with a gorgeous through ball. Then he had the composure and awareness to find Lingard with acres of spaces in the box.
Lukaku's performance in the first half ensured that United took an early lead that Arsenal could not recover from.
#3 Alexis Sanchez
The whole stadium booed every time he touched the ball and cheered every time he was fouled. Yet Sanchez channelled all that hate and used it as a motivation.
Right from the start of the game, he used the opportunity to impress his manager. Replacing Anthony Martial is not easy in this United team, but on the night, Sanchez provided almost everything from the Frenchman's repertoire, while also adding his own characteristic flavour.
The Chilean was super busy and tracked back judiciously whenever United lost the ball. His work rate while winning back the ball was what had always set him apart from his peers and against his former team, he was in his best of form off the ball.
However, it was with the ball that Sanchez dealt this former side a deafening blow. He had continuously run the channels on the night, taking on young Maitland-Niles and using the spaces well. Arsenal had no answer to his cure little runs that split the defence and this was where he stuck in the 31st minute.
As Lukaku cut inside from the right and seemed to prepare himself to unleash a volley on goal, the Chilean made a fantastic run into the box. The Belgian duly noted the movement and provided the pass. Sanchez then beautifully rounded off Cech and finished well from a difficult angle.
The Chilean was brilliant in the first half and paved the way for United to win the game.
#2 Ander Herrera
Herrera is always the bundle of energy in the middle of the park and it was no different against Arsenal. However, it was his commitment and desire that urged United on in the game.
The idea was simple. United were supposed to soak in the pressure and then use that as a springboard in the counter. And Herrera's prime job was to find that moment to initiate the springboard jump.
He had a brilliant Matic for company and together, the two of them closed down the gaps in the middle and gave Arsenal little time on the ball. Herrera wasn't just winning the ball, he was making an important decision when on the ball.
The Spaniard took stock of the proceeding and then distributed his passes accordingly. He laid the ball back for his defences or played a few square passes when keeping the ball was the requirement of the game. But he also had the cleverness to find that one swift pass that initiated the breakaway.
When Lukaku stayed up, Herrera drifted to the side and helped Young deal with the Gunners attack. As Arsenal piled the bodies forward, he guarded his box, pacing side to side and closing down every loose ball. And when United went ahead in the counter, he always gave them an option to fall back on.
Herrera's brilliance on the field made Solskjaer's tactics effective and helped United win the game.
#1 Jesse Lingard
Against Arsenal, the Englishman was Solskjaer's most potent weapon. He continued his good run through the middle as a false 9, working on the gaps and keeping the opposition defence confused with his running.
Lingard did have a few moments of indecision when he could have released the ball a little sooner, but his overall impact on the game was enough to secure a memorable away win.
Lingard was very effective for his team in the counter-attack, and even though he had two new partners alongside him in attack, he carried forward his usual antics which helped them settle into the game. He was a nuisance as always, closing down the defence, and his moment of the game came in the 33rd minute.
Another United counter-attack saw Lukaku burst through the right and as usual, Lingard presented himself as an option for the final ball, taking up a great area in the penalty box and managing to stay unmarked. His finishing was simple and it gave United much-needed composure in the second half.
The Englishman is gradually becoming Solskjaer's secret weapon and his performance on the night secured United's progression into the fifth round of the F.A. Cup.
