POGBA SHOWS MOURINHO WHAT HE HAS BEEN MISSING

MANCHESTER UNITED’S record signing Paul Pogba scored on his return as Jose Mourinho’s men set a new club record of 39 games without defeat at Old Trafford and Zlatan Ibrahimovic tasted his first action since April.

Pogba was excellent in his first match since September 12 and deservedly got on the scoresheet alongside Anthony Martial, Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku after Newcastle had taken a shock lead through Dwight Gayle.

Victory kept the home side within eight points of leaders Manchester City and helped spare the blushes of £31million defender Victor Lindelof, who blundered for the opening goal.

It was a particularly sweet result for Lukaku, who ended a barren run of seven games without a goal for his club as Ibrahimovic watched from the bench, before the latter replaced Martial in the closing stages to the loudest roar of the evening.

There had been plenty of interest in Mourinho’s teamsheet, with Pogba named for the first time since a hamstring injury and Ibrahimovic on the bench.

There were a first Premier League start for Swedish international Lindelof, who helped his country qualify for the World Cup in midweek, while Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw were also among the subs. Rojo and Ibrahimovic had suffered knee injuries in the same game against Anderlecht in April.

For Newcastle, Rafa Benitez handed the captain’s armband to Jonjo Shelvey with skipper Jamaal Lascelles injured.

Pogba’s first notable contribution, a sweeping crossfield ball to Martial on the left wing, was applauded by Old Trafford fans who have seen their manager blame recent below-par performances on the Frenchman’s enforced absence.

Newcastle’s Isaac Hayden became the first name in the notebook after a crude challenge on Juan Mata as he darted towards the penalty area.

It was a wake-up call, therefore, when Newcastle took the lead. The hard work was done on the right by DeAndre Yedlin who got to the byline before cutting the ball back low.

Lindelof could have snuffed out the danger but slipped and Gayle took advantage with a side-footer that went in off the far post.

It was Gayle’s first goal of the season and the first the hosts had conceded at Old Trafford this season, and in open play in 2017.

Newcastle could have got a second against the run of play when Jacob Murphy darted behind Smalling but he dragged his shot wide.

Mata’s promptings looked the likeliest source of an equaliser but Marcus Rashford went close with a curler.

Lindelof tried to make amends for his earlier error with a dinked cross that Lukaku nodded over.

The Belgian broke his country’s scoring record during the international break but early on looked short of confidence in red.

It was Pogba who got United out of a hole.

The Frenchman, adjusting to the pace of the game remarkably well given his lengthy lay-off, showed quick feet to get past Hayden on the right edge of the penalty area before dinking a cross to the far post.

Martial, the only player on the pitch wearing gloves, showed admirable determination to jump above any defender and send a downward header home.

It was his fifth Premier League goal of the season but his first as a starter. And just before the break Ashley Young’s delicious cross to the far post was also headed in by Smalling.

United’s fightback was reward for Mourinho starting with Rashford, Lukaku and Martial together for the first time.

And two of them combined for United’s third.

Lukaku deserves credit for instigating the move with a clever chipped cross from the right.

Rashford cushioned his header at the far post into Pogba’s path and the Frenchman had little trouble scoring from close range.

The Stretford End joined in the party, jeering Shelvey when he slipped and giving Ibrahimovic an ovation when he started to warm up, though Mourinho’s first change was to bring on Marouane Fellaini for Pogba.

Pogba hadn’t even gone down the tunnel when he turned to watch his big mate Lukaku end his barren run in England.

The powerful No9 showed deftness to play in Mata, then bulldozed his way onto the return and almost took the net off.