ALEX CAN BE BEST
Sanchez shows star quality
MANCHESTER UNITED fans belted out their George Best tribute as a new potential No.7 idol made his debut.
In the Radio Cabs Terrace at Huish Park last night they sang about how they were “Gonna go on the p**s” in the afterlife with the Northern Ireland legend, to the tune of ‘Spirit In the Sky’.
In the here and now, Alexis Sanchez can afford to stand a few rounds on £505,000 a week.
His first game in a United shirt was soon cause for celebration as he played key roles in the opening goal in the first half, scored by Marcus Rashford, and the second after the break from Ander Herrera.
Appetite
The ex-Arsenal star immediately brought his all-action style to Jose Mourinho’s team. He showed his customary appetite for the ball from the off, against a team fourth from bottom in League Two.
Yeovil’s Jordan Green had the first chance of the match with an angled shot from the left inside the box.
But his effort lacked conviction and accuracy and Sergio Romero was able to block.
Then Omar Sowunmi should have done better than to head straight at the keeper when he was given space to run on to a free-kick from Green.
Sanchez’s first penetrating ball came in the 25th minute when he picked up a pass from Juan Mata and played in Scott McTominay. His shot was going into the corner until Artur Krysiak dived to his right to tip it round.
Sanchez then went on a jinking 30-yard run, beating two players in green and white hoops. But McTominay was unable to control his firm pass out on the left.
After Nathan Smith was booked for fouling Sanchez, the Chilean took the free-kick in the 31st minute.
United fans at the other end of the ground thought he had scored, but Krysiak had got down well to his left to keep it out.
Tom James struck a free-kick powerfully but straight at Romero who punched clear.
Sanchez made his mark in the 41st minute, picking out the run of Rashford, who tried to dribble into the box but was dispossessed by James.
But James opted to run towards his own goal with the ball and ended up presenting it back to Rashford, running in alongside him, and the striker slotted home.
Team-mates gathered to console James, while Rashford celebrated his first strike
in 11 games. Sanchez was clobbered again after the break with Sowunmi booked.
Rashford had a shot deflected wide in the 50th minute and from the corner, Sanchez flicked a shot from an acute angle onto the top of the bar.
In the 61st minute, Sanchez claimed his second assist. After a corner from Jake Gray was cleared, Juan Mata picked out Sanchez and he spotted Herrera on the overlap and produced a superb reverse ball.
Spotted
The Spaniard’s shot went under keeper Krysiak and United could relax.
Jesse Lingard, on as a late substitute, dribbled through a tired Yeovil defence in the last minute of normal time and fired in United’s third.
Lukaku, another second-half sub, was also on target with an injury-time fourth. YEOVIL (4-4-2): Krysiak; James, Sowunmi, N Smith, Dickson; Gray, Wing, Bird, Green; Surridge, Zoko. Subs: C Smith, Browne, Maddison, Gobern, Whelan, Santos, Fisher. MAN UTD (4-3-3): Romero; Darmian, Lindelof, Rojo, Shaw; Herrera, Carrick, McTominay; Mata, Rashford, Sanchez. Subs: Lukaku, Smalling, Lingard, Young, Matic, Pereira, Gomes. Referee: Paul Tierney.