Manchester United are on a roll this season.
This Saturday, The Red Devils defeated Leicester City 2-0 and remain at the top of the Premier League standings. They have won their three games so far, and are yet to concede a goal so far. Jose Mourinho’s men look like one of the top title contenders, and have dazzled everyone with their recent play.
One thing that has been quite surprising, however, is the performance of players coming off the bench. We are going to detail it on a game-to-game basis, and it is pretty easy to see Mou has been doing a good job with the substitions. In each game the players coming off the bench are producing quite a spark.
Manchester United 4 – 0 West Ham
The season opener saw Manchester United defeat West Ham 4-0 with ease. In this match, Mourinho sent Marouane Fellaini, Anthony Martial, and Jesse Lingard into the game.
Out of the three, Martial made the biggest impact since the French forward contributed with one goal and one assist in only 10 minutes.
Swansea 0 – 4 Manchester United
United’s second consecutive 4-0 win was not a fair reflection compared to what happened on the pitch. However, in this match once again the subs made their presence felt. Martial and Fellaini entered once again, but Ander Herrera also registered his first appearance of the campaign.
Fellaini did not score, but his sole presence allowed United to start winning more duels in midfield. Martial scored as a sub for the second straight match. And while Ander Herrera entered the game when the score was already 4-0, he helped secure possession alongside Fellaini and Paul Pogba.
Manchester United 2 – 0 Leicester City
Saturday’s win against Leicester was United’s toughest game during the current season. And it is worth mentioning that the team probably would not have won the match had not been for the subs. In fact, all three players that came off the bench contributed on the goals. This time, Mourinho sent Marcus Rashford – who started the previous two matches -, Fellaini and Lingard into the game.
Rashford scored only three minutes after coming in. Fellaini netted his first goal of the season. And as if that wasn’t enough, Lingard injected some much-needed pace to the attacking line. In fact, the winger assisted Fellaini on United’s second strike late in the second half.
Conclusions
The conclusions are easy to understand. Mourinho has done a good making tactical adjustments during each game. And while this run is not going to last all season long and Mourinho will eventually commit mistakes from time to time, fans need to enjoy this great run while it lasts.
After all, heading to the international break with three wins in equal number of matches is a great way to start the year.
GREAT PLAY