Manchester United 2-0 Watford
MANCHESTER UNITED PROBABLY needed the three points more than the blistering performance against Watford but Anthony Martial helped them to deliver both as they turned in their best display under Jose Mourinho to win 2-0 and climb to fifth in the Premier League, keeping their hopes of a Champions League spot alive in the process.
Martial had missed four of the last five games amid claims from his manager that he hadn’t done enough to earn a regular starting spot, but his response was to score one and set up another for Juan Mata in United’s most convincing performance in quite some time.
His last start against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup saw him set up two goals, but Mourinho insisted that it had only been enough to earn him a spot as a substitute in the subsequent fixture against Hull City.
This time around there can be no doubting that Martial did enough to be considered a sure-fire starter when Mourinho draws up his next starting XI.
The only regret about the afternoon has to be the fact that United didn’t score more goals, with their phenomenal forward play worthy of far more. Their front four combined superbly on numerous occasions, creating a multitude of chances which would have produced more goals were it not for a mixture of great goalkeeping, wonderful defending and erratic finishing.
This was United at their best. Martial was a constant threat on the left after his recall in place of Marcus Rashford, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s runs caused all sorts of problems, while Mata turned in his best showing for some time as he drifted into positions the Watford defence simply couldn’t handle and Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s movement ensured the Hornets were always playing catch-up.
Mata got the goal he deserved after a Martial raid down the left, and the Frenchman later added a second after leaving the Watford defence flat-footed following an Ibrahimovic pass.
There were other opportunities for Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera as United’s fluid movement opened the kind of space that United have rarely been afforded at Old Trafford this term.
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