POGBA POWER
Star’s stunning winner sends United top again
PAUL POGBA struck a sensational winner against Fulham at Craven Cottage last night to send Manchester United back to the top of the Premier League table.
The in-form Frenchman fired home from outside the area on 65 minutes to complete a United comeback, after Edinson Cavani had cancelled out an early Ademola Lookman goal.
Manchester City had earlier claimed top spot from Leicester, a contested Bernardo Silva rocket followed by a late Ilkay Gundogan penalty earning Pep Guardiola’s team a 2-0 win against Aston Villa, who saw boss Dean Smith sent off for comments to officials.
BUT can he do it on a wet Wednesday by the Thames, in one of London’s more exclusive boroughs? Apparently, he can. In fact, we are running out of areas where Paul Pogba cannot do it this season. It may have been his club mates who put Manchester United in title contention while Pogba, and his agent, considered their options, but now back in the team and with the biggest prize at stake, he is inspired.
This is the player Jose Mourinho bought. One that decides matches, that accepts the physical challenge, that imposes his presence on inferior midfielders. Yes, flaws remain — he was asleep for Fulham’s goal — but Pogba was once again crucial to this United victory and, with it, their return to the top of the table.
Two other clubs had held top spot in the 24 hours prior to this match. Dark horses Leicester, and race favourites Manchester City — but Pogba’s brilliant second-half goal restored United and showed a team that are up for the fight, if that is what this season holds.
What a goal it was. A shot struck with power and precision from outside the area, a splendid marriage of beauty and beast, like the player himself. For when Pogba is on his game, as he was here, there is no one in English football quite like him.
Capable of the shot of the night (no mean feat with Bruno Fernandes in the team), the pass of the night (see previous parenthesis) and also of the fearsome scrapping that is an essential part of any midfielder’s skill set these days.
At one stage he played a sloppy pass which was intercepted by Ademola Lookman, who sped off towards goal. Pogba, once frequently accused of dereliction of duty, sped off in pursuit and clambered all over his opponent like an over-sized kid on a bouncy castle until the ball was retrieved. Lookman was furious, referee Martin Atkinson unmoved. Maybe, like the rest of us, that was exactly what he had been looking to see from Pogba for several years now.
Certainly, it makes all the difference to United who performed their usual trick of going behind away from home, and winning. This is the seventh time this season and theirs remains the only unbeaten away record.
True it still required an excellent save from David de Gea to prevent a Ruben Loftus-Cheek equaliser after 75 minutes, but that is another feather in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s cap, given the calls for Dean Henderson to be promoted in his place earlier in the season. Solskjaer (right) has stuck with De Gea, Pogba when many were counselling change. No matter who did the actual signing, this is very much his team.
As for Fulham, they fought well too, but without the talent at Solskjaer’s disposal. They are losing to good teams by small margins, which is no use right now, but at least offers hope for the future. If nothing else, United are demonstrating the worth of patience right now. It is almost as if the opposition’s goal start is a bona fide tactic for United now, as if this is what they need to crank up and get going. Maybe they should have let Liverpool score at Anfield on Sunday, too. Last night, they allowed Fulham to dominate the first five minutes of play, culminating in a goal from Ademola Lookman. From which point, in the first half certainly, United did not look back. In swirling winds which did peculiar things to the ball the first two occasions United tried to play ambitiously from the back, Fulham were initially spirited and useful. The game had been running just two minutes when Lookman sought to take advantage of the conditions, striking a shot from range that De Gea collected comfortably. Not so the second time.
It was a familiar problem that contributed to Fulham’s lead, Pogba allowing Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa to run off him before sliding the ball through to Lookman. United’s back line appeared to be seeking an offside call, but nothing came and Lookman finished smartly this time, across De Gea and into the far corner.
And that was it from Fulham in the half for another 32 minutes until Ivan Cavaleiro was put through and took a terrible touch, running the ball out of play. Between those moments it was all
United, including a deserved equaliser, even if it came more from luck than judgment.
In the 10th minute United thought they should have had a penalty when Fred was sent tumbling by Loftus-Cheek. Instead the ball broke and Pogba was booked for breaking up the counter-attack with a foul on Ola Aina. There were some very vocal protests about that, as one can imagine.
United’s mood improved with their 21st-minute equaliser, however, which came courtesy of a howler from goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. So nearly the hero of the weekend match with Chelsea, he was at fault here, gifting the easiest opportunity to Edinson Cavani.
First, a move involving Luke Shaw and Fred ended with Bruno Fernandes striking a shot against the right post from range. The ball
recycled, Fernandes tracked wide left and delivered a cross which Areola fumbled, dropping at the feet of Cavani in the six-yard box. You can guess the rest.
Sensing blood, Fernandes tried again from 25 yards two minutes later, but Areola regained some credibility by tipping his shot around the post. It was all United by now, and two headers shortly before half-time should have sent them in clear.
The first came from a Shaw corner which was met squarely by Harry Maguire, but steered wastefully wide. It was Shaw again in the 42nd minute, striking a fine cross met by Anthony Martial without the requisite accuracy.
A Shaw corner five minutes into the second-half went the same way once more, Maguire the culprit again. Maybe Shaw should aim for the strikers instead — it’s not as if United have not got enough of them.