‘New’ Man U make it 12 in 3
Pogba bags another brace under new manager, as Wood scores in sharp Burnley return
Paul Pogba scored another two goals and added an assist as Manchester United continued their resurgence under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a free-flowing 4-1 win over Bournemouth in the English Premier League yesterday.
And All Whites striker Chris Wood celebrated his recall to Burnley’s starting line-up by scoring his side’s first goal in a crucial 2-0 win over West Ham. The result moved Burnley up one place to 18th.
Wood struck in the 15th minute with a right-foot finish from the left of the penalty area to end a sweeping move. The goal was Wood’s fifth in four Premier League games against West Ham.
Nineteen-year-old Dwight McNeil added a second in the 34th minute, with the teenager one of five changes — along with Wood — from the Burnley side that lost 5-1 to Everton on Boxing Day.
Pogba, who had been relegated to the bench during the final weeks of Jose Mourinho’s reign after falling out with the Portuguese manager, put United 2-0 up after 33 minutes and Marcus Rashford added the third in the 45th at Old Trafford.
Nathan Ake gave Bournemouth some hope by pulling a goal back with a header just before halftime, but United rarely looked troubled after the break and substitute Romelu Lukaku added the fourth from a suspected offside position in the 72nd minute.
United finished the game with 10 men after Eric Bailly was sent off in the 79th for a late scissor tackle on Ryan Fraser but the hosts still eased to a third straight victory under Solskjaer, who took over from the fired Mourinho last month.
They have scored 12 goals in that
stretch — having averaged less than two per game under Mourinho — with Pogba netting two for the second match in a row.
The attacking football that was the club’s hallmark under Alex Ferguson is definitely back at Old Trafford, and Pogba, the club’s record signing, looks completely rejuvenated under the caretaker manager.
The midfielder slid in to tap home a low cross from Rashford in the fifth minute after the England forward showed great footwork to go past a defender and break inside from the right flank.
That confidence was more than
justified as Pogba, a World Cup winner with France, was at the heart of most United attacks and he doubled the lead with a header, beating goalkeeper Asmir Begovic to a cross from Ander Herrera at the near post.
Rashford was then rewarded for his own excellent attacking display when he was on hand to turn in another cross by Anthony Martial, but Bournemouth responded immediately when David Brooks floated a ball into the United box and Ake jumped highest to bury a header past keeper David de Gea.
Lukaku, who had just come on for Rashford, met a lofted pass from
Pogba and sent a low finish past Begovic to seal the game.
● Manchester City got their faltering title defence back on track with a 3-1 win at Southampton thanks to two quick goals just before halftime.
David Silva and Sergio Aguero scored for the visitors, who also benefited from a fortunate own goal by James Ward-Prowse.
The win puts Pep Guardiola’s team back into second place, two points ahead of Tottenham but still seven behind leaders Liverpool ahead of their top-of-the-table clash on Friday.
● Chelsea beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park.