UNITED SALUTE FLAIR OF THE POG
PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION Classy Paul brings Jose some New Year cheer
IN THE end it was a Happy New Year for Manchester United and Jose Mourinho after what had been a frustrating festive period.
Second-half strikes from Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard ended a run of three straight draws as United handed Sam Allardyce his second defeat in charge of Everton.
But it was the second-half class from captain Paul Pogba that really inspired United to get 2018 off to a bright start after a dark end to last year.
Not only have they watched rivals City gallop clear in the Premier League title race after their results over Christmas, but they have also been dragged into the top-four battle.
It looked like it would be another dour draw for Mourinho’s men after an opening 45 minutes to forget, but they eventually got the three points that lifted them back up to second.
Rival fans of these two joked that this was the battle of the buses, owing to both managers’ tendency to park that vehicle in big games.
For those who love to over-analyse football, the tactical nuances of how Allardyce’s men were controlling the pace of the game in the first-half and not allowing United to get going was something they could enjoy.
But for those who prefer attractive, attacking football that is easy on the eye it was a painful watch.Both sides waited to counter, neither wanted to move away from their defensive positions.
There were some chances. Nikola Vlasic dipped a shot just over the bar for Everton before Marcos Rojo gave Toffees keeper Jordan Pickford an easy save with a tame header from a Pogba cross at the other end.
Special
Pogba would go close himself before the break, but it wasn’t until after the restart that United really got going as Mourinho released them from their shackles to allow them to attack.
There was a clear improvement from the visitors and, in particular, that man Pogba – who ran the game in the second half.
But it was Juan Mata who forced Pickford into a decent stop from distance and then cracked the post.
It still needed something special to break the deadlock and that came in the 57th minute.
Former United captain Wayne Rooney was Everton’s best player, but he was the one who gave the ball away that allowed Ander Herrera to start the counter-attack. Mata found Pogba, who teed-up Martial – and the France forward took one touch before curling home from the edge of the area. Pogba then went close with a longrange strike before a header spun off his dyed hair as he tried to nod into an empty goal.
Oumar Niasse fluffed a chance to pull Everton level after the introduction of James McCarthy for Rooney. Even though the change was booed by the home crowd, it gave the home side a spell of pressure.
Lingard then ensured the win with nine minutes to go with a sweet strike to grab his seventh goal in his last nine appearances.
All the talk beforehand was whether Martial could play through the middle in the absence of the injured Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
But it is Lingard’s goals that have kept United going during Lukaku’s dry run and, after the impressive Pogba assisted, he beat Michael Keane before curling home.
How Everton could do with an attacking midfielder chipping in with some goals as they wait to see if Cenk Tosun’s £25m move from Besiktas will get done to add some much needed firepower up front.
It was another defeat for Allardyce after his side lost at Bournemouth on Saturday.
They failed to register a single shot