POGBA IS UNITED HERO WITH WONDER STRIKE
Midfielder hits winner as United return to top of table
HIS team-mates may have put Manchester United in title contention, while Paul Pogba and his agent considered their options — but the Frenchman is now threatening to seal the real deal.
This is the player Jose Mourinho bought. One who decides matches, who accepts the physical challenge, who 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 who are up for the fight.
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, there is no one in English football quite like him.
He provided the shot of the night, the pass of the night and also 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.
His manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, said: ‘We have always said Paul can do everything. He can play wide, play in midfield, create chances and shoot. Today we felt his position was midfield and what a goal with his left foot. He was so committed and got tackles in as well.
‘When you win tight games, those two extra points for a win instead of a draw are vital. Let’s see where we are at the end.’
Certainly, a rejuvenated Pogba 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 Solskjaer’s cap, given the calls for Dean Henderson to be promoted earlier in the season. Solskjaer has stuck with De Gea and Pogba when many were counselling change.
Fulham fought well too, but without the talent at Solskjaer’s disposal. They are losing to good teams by small margins, which at least offers hope for the future.
Their manager, Scott Parker, said: ‘I’m really pleased but I’m disappointed at the same time, which shows how far we’ve come. We’ve held our own against the top teams in the last few games.
‘We’ve worked tirelessly and we will work hard on the training field to execute those chances and hopefully it will improve.’
It’s almost as if the opposition’s goal start is a bona-fide tactic for United, 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, culminating in a goal from Lookman. From which point, in the first half certainly, United did not look back.
Solskjaer admitted: ‘Poor start but their goal, we probably need because we started playing then. After we scored, it was too long and too direct but second half we played better and got the win.’
In swirling winds which did peculiar things to the ball, 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. Not so the second time.
Pogba allowed Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa to run off him before he slid the ball through to Lookman. United’s back line appeared to be seeking an offside call, but nothing came and Lookman finished smartly.
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 tenth 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 with a foul on Ola Aina. There were some vocal protests about that, as one can imagine.
United’s mood improved with their equaliser, courtesy of a howler from goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
First, a move involving Luke Shaw and Fred ended with 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 Edinson Cavani in the sixyard 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. FULHAM (3-4-3): Areola 5; Aina 6 (Mitrovic 83), Andersen 6, Adarabioyo 6; Tete 6, Reed 5, Anguissa 6 (Lemina 79), Bryan 5; LoftusCheek 6, Lookman 7, Cavaleiro (Kamara 71). Subs not used: Hector, Odoi, Kebano, Rodak, Ream, Onomah. Booked: Anguissa, Bryan, Aina.
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 6; Wan-Bissaka 5, Bailly 6, Maguire 6, Shaw 6; Pogba 8, Fred 6; Greenwood 6 (Rashford 85); Fernandes 7 (Matic 90+5), Martial 6 (McTominay 85); Cavani 7. Subs not used: Mata, James, Henderson, Telles, Van de Beek, Tuanzebe. Booked: Pogba. Man of the match: Paul Pogba. Referee: Martin Atkinson.