Solskjaer’s super young strikers stole the show
MANCHESTER UNITED 5 Greenwood (29, 54), Rashford (pen. 35), Martial (45), Fernandes (59) BOURNEMOUTH 2 Stanislas (15), King (pen. 49)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a Manchester United forward line on fire.
If the Old Trafford boss can sort out some dodgy defending, the Reds will be back as regular contenders for major honours.
Solskjaer’s strikers stuck five goals past Bournemouth to record three Premier League wins in a row for the first time in 18 months.
It was one of the most entertaining games we’ve seen since football’s return – seven goals, two efforts ruled offside and more VAR controversy.
Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are scoring goals for fun, but 18-yearold Greenwood stole the show with a couple of devastating finishes.
Rashford converted a penalty to become United’s first English player to score 20 goals in all competitions in a season since Rooney in 2012.
Martial looks like a player reborn and is the first Premier League man to hit the net in all competitions this year.
Having front players in great form is all that was needed to blow away bottom side Bournemouth.
But it might not have been so easy if Solskjaer’s side had been up against more durable opponents.
The went behind early on when Junior Stanislas nutmegged Harry Maguire and beat David de Gea.
It was poor bit of goalkeeping by the Spaniard on the day when he equalled Peter Schmeichel’s record of 398 appearances for the Reds.
His manager was able to smile and acclaim it as a good finish after the game. He might not have been smiling if resulted in a defeat.
Greenwood levelled the scores with a fearsome shot that rocketed past the Cherries’ keeper Ramsdale.
Rashford then converted a penalty kick and Martial curled in a beauty from the edge of the box.
United looked firmly in control of proceedings at half-time.
The break and the introduction of defender Eric Bailly caused a brief period of Keystone Cops-style defending from the home side.
Confusion forced de Gea to stop a Danjuma shot and watch his follow-up come back off the post.
Referee Mike Dean then ruled that Bailly hand-balled after Nemanja Matic clipped a pass towards his own goal.
It looked like a shoulder and perhaps outside the box. VAR was used but they came to the conclusion that it wasn’t a clear error by the whistler.
Joshua King fired home the kick. Then Greenwood skipped across the opposition penalty area and fired past Ramsdale.
A whipped free kick by Bruno Fernandes completed the scoring.
VAR had a look to make sure Matic’s toenail wasn’t offside.
Most of the spotlight is on United’s fantastic forwards and dodgy defenders, but Fernandes is the link-man who has transformed this team – the Portuguese international has five goals and five assists in just nine Premier League outings for the Reds.
Scott Mctominay didn’t make it off the bench, but some feel the Scotland man may eventually become a centre-half.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes the young Manchester United mates in attack are helping one another.
He said: “They are good friends and keep challenging each other.”
Marcus Rashford lavished praise on Greenwood and Martial but admitted his colleagues have to tighten up at the back.
He said: “We’re not always going to score five goals... and we have to make sure we don’t concede.”