United put their best foot forward
Anthony Martial indulges in some ballet during yesterday’s win over Watford.
IF only Manchester United had shown this killer instinct more often at Old Trafford this season.
If only they had seen off Stoke, Burnley, West Ham and Hull in the same manner as they dispatched Watford instead of settling for frustrating home draws.
Those squandered eight points mean United are scrambling to get into the top four rather than challenging near the top of the table.
Goals from Juan Mata and Anthony Martial secured a comfortable three points, although they still missed plenty of chances for an even more resounding victory.
But Jose Mourinho’s side have now put together an impressive unbeaten run of 16 games as they signed off for their mini winter break in the league.
The hope will be that by the time they resume Premier League duty on March 4, their rivals in the top six – Chelsea apart – won’t have gone too far ahead of them.
In the meantime, they will aim to beat Southampton in the EFL Cup Final and to make progress in both the FA Cup and the Europa League.
Mourinho was purring about United’s display particularly in the first half and he insisted that his team would keep pushing to break into the top four.
“The first half was very good,” he said. “It was the kind of football that if instead of being a Mourinho team, it was somebody else’s team you would say it was art. But because it is my team, you just say ‘very good’, but that is fine.
“The team played really well and the fans understood. It was amazing.
“The other teams above us are good, but lucky. Hull City were lucky against us, but they were unlucky this afternoon against Arsenal.
“We have an amazing record of being unbeaten, but we should have more victories and with more victories we would be in a better position, but we have to keep fighting for points.”
Eight points from their previous four games had eased Watford away from any real relegation trouble, including a memorable win at Arsenal.
But their intentions were clear as Hornets boss Walter Mazzarri lined his team up with five defenders. The challenge was for United to break them down.
The recalled Martial nearly did just that as he went on an exciting run past two players until his shot was deflected into the side netting.
Watford broke out from their defensive shackles briefly and left-back Jose Holebas unleased a fine strike that swung just beyond the far post.
But that only prompted a wave of United attacks in a brilliant 15-minute spell. Midfielder Paul Pogba was twice denied by Heurelho Gomes, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic volleyed over after brilliantly taking down Pogba’s pass.
Martial did have the ball in the net, but it was ruled out for his team-mates having taken a free-kick too quickly.
The football was fast-flowing and relentless and the chances kept coming.
Henrik Mkhitaryan missed a gilt-edged opportunity when he shot over with the goal at his mercy and the effervescent Gomes made a superb close-range save to keep out Ibrahimovic’s header, before the deadlock was broken.
And it was a superbly crafted goal full of sharp passes and flicks which began as Mata gave it to Mkhitaryan, who slipped in Martial.
The young Frenchman got to the line before cutting it back for Mata to provide the finish the move deserved from six yards.
Martial was close with a shot across the face of goal just after the break, while at the other end, United stopper David De Gea was called into action to keep out Mauro Zarate’s free kick.
But the crucial second arrived and this time Martial made no mistake after being set free by Ibrahimovic and he beat Gomes at his near post.
Substitute Daryl Janmaat missed a golden chance to halve the deficit when he skied over from five yards at the back post but that apart, Mourinho’s men saw out the remainder of the game with relative comfort.