“We lost two games in the Premier League but we are not drawing we are winning, you have four victories, you have 12 points. So we changed the team to play against Leicester, the specific qualities they have”. It was more about control. This time we analysed and coped. Normally our second half performance is better than the first. It’s hard to score against us, but today it was very unusual for us. “To be at home and beat the champions is good”.
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Rooney has had to harbour the bulk of the criticism for the defeats and paid the price against the Foxes by being demoted to the bench. Chris Smalling broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute of the match, scoring from a Daley Blind corner, with the Dutchman grabbing the assist, his first of the day. Two more from Marcus Rashford and Pogba followed in the next five minutes to end the match as a contest.
In the second, Jose Mourinho’s team managed to score very well managed. If you score four goals, your striker doesn’t score a goal, and I think Ibrahimovic played absolutely fantastic in the way he was key in our attacking football and our pressure.
Rooney, England’s record goal-scorer, came on as a late substitute.
Pogba nodded in the fourth goal and was named man of the match in United’s most comprehensive performance yet under Jose Mourinho.
Asked about the 30-year-old, Mourinho told Sky Sports: “He’s a big player for me, a big player for United, a big player for this country. I’ve nothing to say, I trust him and he’s happy, as I am”.
Mata started for United for their win over Leicester and got himself on the scoresheet.
Mourinho said Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Luke Shaw were available in the build-up, but neither were in the squad.
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Mourinho’s gamble to drop Rooney was widely supported by the fan base and the other “Einsteins” of football. Pogba had an impressive debut for the 20-time Premier League champions against Southampton but he seemed to have put his feet off the pedal. “We showed a big performance and want to carry on like this”. It was also about making the fans happy. It was his first goal for United, after a heavily scrutinized first month on the job.
