MAN U ON A ROLL
Pogba, Cavani steer Red Devils into driver’s seat
London, Jan. 21: Paul Pogba produced a moment of magic as Manchester United came from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 and reclaim the Premier League lead on Wednesday, ending Manchester City’s short stay at the top.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s in-form team started the match third in the table after 24 hours of chopping and changing at the summit.
The win sent the Red Devils two points clear and equalled the club record of 17 Premier League away games without defeat set by the treble-winning side of 1999.
United were forced to dig deep after Ademola Lookman punished them for an untidy start before Edinson Cavani pulled them level with a poacher’s goal later in the first half.
Pogba — back in the starting line-up in recent weeks after a spell on the periphery of Solskjaer’s team — put United in front with a stunning leftfoot curling effort from outside the area in the second half.
United have now won seven Premier League games after going behind this season.
The Premier League race is shaping up to be a thriller, with just eight points separating United from seventh-placed West Ham. United knew they
had to respond after City beat Aston Villa 2-0 earlier on Wednesday to leapfrog Leicester, who topped the table after their 2-0 win against Chelsea the previous evening.
But the defensive discipline they showed in their goalless draw against Liverpool on Sunday was absent in the early minutes
and they paid the price. United were punished in the fifth minute when Lookman sprang the offside trap, collecting a ball over the top from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.
The forward had time to pick his spot and gave Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea no
chance, striking the ball into the bottom corner with his right foot.
The away side settled and were level in the 21st minute through Cavani, moments after Bruno Fernandes had hit the inside of the post.
Alphonse Areola failed to hold a Fernandes cross from the left, spilling the
ball into the path of the veteran Uruguayan, who made no mistake with a left-footed finish from close range.
The increasingly influential Fernandes tested Areola from distance as United began to flex their muscles without creating many clear-cut chances.
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