Man United puts four past Lampard’s Chelsea
Liverpool and Manchester City both open with resounding conquests • Arsenal, Spurs notch victories
Marcus Rashford struck twice as Manchester United opened its Premier League account with a resounding 4-0 victory over Frank Lampard’s Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday evening.
It was an awful start for the new Chelsea boss in his first competitive game on the bench for his old club, which struck the woodwork twice in the first half but paid for its defensive frailties as Anthony Martial and Dan James also scored.
“Four mistakes for the goals. We have to be self-critical for that. We controlled the first half hour but made some poor decisions. We should be in the lead at the break,” said Lampard, who took over from Maurizio Sarri in the close season.
“They have pace and if you turn over the ball and allow them to run in behind you they can hurt you.
“We were comfortable in the first half. But there are lessons there. You can’t make mistakes at this level. But if you look at the game, it is not a 4-0 game,” added the former Chelsea and England midfielder.
It may indeed have been a harsh scoreline for the visitors, but for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United team with Harry Maguire, the world’s most expensive defender, and right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka making debuts, it was a dream start to the campaign.
The win was United’s biggest over Chelsea in a top-flight match since the same scoreline in March 1965 under Matt Busby.
Not only did Rashford strike twice, but his attacking partner Martial also found the target after the break and the victory was rounded out by substitute James, a close-season signing from Swansea City, marking his United debut with the fourth.
“It is a great start for myself and the team. We rode our luck a bit first half but second we were much more ourselves,” said Maguire,” who joined United for 80 million pounds ($96.27 million) from Leicester City on Monday.
“It is the first game at Old Trafford so I think there were nerves. We gave the ball away in dangerous areas. We moved it nicely second half and our front three are so dangerous on the break,” added the center-half.
But while the crowd celebrated its newlook side’s perfect start, it was evident until Martial made it 2-0 in the 65th that there is still much work to be done to get United anywhere near the level of title favorites Manchester City and Liverpool.
The 41-year-old Lampard handed starts to youngsters Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham, back at the west London club after loan spells in the Championship (second-tier), with American Christian Pulisic on the bench, and his side started brightly.
Abraham crashed an early drive against the United bar and Mount then tested David De Gea with an effort from distance.
With Pedro and Ross Barkley causing problems in the channels, Chelsea was moving the ball with confidence and United’s midfield was often chasing shadows.
But against the run of play the hosts got in front with an 18th minute Rashford penalty after the England forward was pulled down by Kurt Zouma.
Chelsea responded well, however, and went close to an equalizer when Emerson struck the post shortly before the break with a left-foot drive from a tight angle.
But the game turned decisively in United’s favor when, after a Rashford led counter-attack, Martial bundled in a low cross from Andreas Pereira.
Two minutes later, Chelsea’s defense was again exposed when Rashford timed his run to perfection, latched on to a long ball from Paul Pogba and beat ’keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga with a confident finish.
Another counter-attack led to United’s fourth goal when Pogba fed Welsh winger James, who after initially hesitating fired into the far bottom corner via a deflection.
That was the icing on the cake for United and, while the team remains a work in progress, the mood around Old Trafford was back to its jubilant best.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Steve Bruce’s reign as Newcastle United manager began in disappointing fashion as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goal sealed a 1-0 victory for Arsenal at a subdued St. James’ Park.
After a largely forgettable first half in which Newcastle was the slightly better side, Arsenal eased to a comfortable three points thanks to Aubameyang’s 58th minute strike.
Also, Wolverhampton Wanderers had a goal by Leander Dendoncker ruled out by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in an entertaining 0-0 draw against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
Wolves thought they had scored six minutes into the second half when Dendoncker blasted in from close range, but VAR deemed that the midfielder had headed the ball onto teammate Willy Boly’s arm off a corner before taking the shot.
Earlier in the weekend, champion Manchester City delivered an emphatic statement of intent with a 5-0 thrashing of West Ham United as it began its bid for a third straight Premiership title on Saturday.
Raheem Sterling’s hat-trick fired City to a crushing victory as its more than matched title rival Liverpool’s 4-1 hammering of Norwich City on Friday.
Tottenham Hotspur, the only side to keep pace with City and Liverpool last season before falling away and finishing a distant fourth, began the campaign with a 3-1 home victory over Aston Villa – Harry Kane scoring two late goals.
There were also impressive wins for Burnley and Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening Saturday of the season while Sheffield United marked its return to the Premier League by picking up a point at Bournemouth. (Reuters)