Martial Makes Amends in Moscow.

CSKA Moscow 1 Manchester United 1

United returned to the city of their famous 2008 Champions League triumph looking to obtain a first away win in their group this season. However, all they managed to come away with was a point following a below par performance.

When the draw was made for this season's Champions League group stages many fans worried about facing CSKA for no other reason than it would involve a long round trip to the Russian capital for the squad, especially considering that on their return to Manchester they would have the small matter of a local derby to look forward to a few days later.

Buoyed by a brilliant display away at Everton the squad looked to be on a high in the build up to the match against the twelve-time Russian champions who like United and the other teams in the group were all locked on 3 points prior to this match.

Louis van Gaal had a small quandary and that was whether or not to stick with the side that performed so well at Goodison Park with fit again Herrera and Rojo the standout performers or recall the players who hadn't featured including Memphis, Blind and Valencia. In the end the manager decided to freshen things up by choosing a starting XI which included: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Rojo, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Herrera, Lingard, Martial and Rooney.

On the bench were: Romero, Fellaini, Mata, Carrick, Blind, Memphis and Darmian.

So, a surprising start for youngster Jesse Lingard, who got the nod ahead of Juan Mata on the night and a recall for Valencia in place of Darmian. It was Valencia who scored the winner in this same fixture six years ago to the day.

Mata must have done something to irk the manager as he was pulled off against Everton at half-time and overlooked tonight, even though van Gaal stated it was due to the Spaniard needing a little rest, also the Dutch duo of Memphis and Blind had to start from the bench after being overlooked for the second straight match.

United got the tie underway on a bitterly cold night in Moscow and had an early shout for a penalty as Martial looked to have been brought down inside the area, but nothing was awarded, then in the 15th minute Martial was involved in another penalty debate as when CSKA attacked the United area the ball hit the French youngster on his raised hand and the referee had no choice but to award the home side a spot kick. Martial's name was taken by the referee for the offence.

De Gea saved Eremenko's resulting penalty, but it was Doumbia who reacted quicker than the United defence, especially Phil Jones, to poke the rebound home and put the Russians ahead. That was probably Martial's first mistake in his fledgling United career, but one that hopefully he will learn from.

Following the penalty, the play became a little scrappy with some heavy challenges going in with United taking their time to get into any sort of rhythm. On the half hour, David De Gea pulled off a fantastic one-handed save at full stretch to prevent the ball entering the top corner from an audacious attempt from Musa.

At this point, United were toothless in attack and the tactic of Martial wide left was just not paying off and his pace and skill on the ball would have been better suited through the middle. Martial did manage to deliver a great cross with the outside of his boot, but both Herrera and Rooney got in each others way trying to get on the end of it.

At half-time, United went in trailing to the penalty and if not for De Gea it could have been worse. This was a poor showing by the away side who had around 70% of the possession during the opening 45 minutes, but had absolutely nothing to show for it and would be hoping that the situation could be rectified in the second half.

Van Gaal decided that a change was needed at the start of the second half and brought on Fellaini in place of Schweinsteiger. In the opening ten minutes, it was a similar situation to the first as United had the majority of the ball, but this was the tepid display of the Emirates and not the Goodison Park showing.

There was absolutely no cohesion with the players in attack and it wasn't until the hour mark that the visitors managed an effort on goal when Rooney had a near post effort saved. Lingard then tried his luck, however, his perfectly timed run was wrongly adjudged to be offside.

The second change saw Blind enter the fray when he replaced Rojo and straight after the change United pulled level through Martial. The French striker made amends for giving away the penalty by producing a stunning header inside the penalty area following an excellent cross from Valencia.

Martial showed great character to pull himself up after the error of the first half and it is credit to him that he didn't buckle like many young players would have. The way he judged the flight of the ball to run unmarked into the box was a delight to watch.

Not for the first time this season United looked a different side from the first half and began to push forward for the winner as Memphis became the last substitution when he came on for the hard-working Lingard to see out the last ten minutes of the match.

Fellaini had a late chance to grab all three points following good work from Memphis whose deep inswinging cross was flicked back into the danger area by Martial, unfortunately Fellaini couldn't add the finishing touch that was desperately needed. Fellaini was then needlessly cautioned for giving away a free-kick after a dithering Jones failed to support the Belgian, poor play by Jones who dropped his colleague in trouble.

The game ended in a 1-1 draw which overall United will have to be content with after a terrible first half performance with once again many players under performing none more so than the captain Wayne Rooney, who not for the first time this season has done nothing to prove his doubters wrong. He display seemed lethargic and his passing was nowhere near good enough at this level.

How long will it be before van Gaal bites the bullet and leaves his skipper out. In the second half, Martial once again proved that he deserves the chance to play in the central strikers role.

At the back Jones produced his usual unconvincing display and he doesn't exactly fill his colleagues with confidence and the best fit would be either Blind or Rojo playing alongside Smalling with the other filling in at left back.

With a possible banana skin of a match out of the way United can now head back to England and concentrate fully on the 170th derby against City on Sunday, a match that will not only decide which team will have the bragging rights around the city but will also determine which side gains the upper hand in the league.

Until then.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United back on track at Goodison.

Everton 0 Manchester United 3

After what seemed like an eternity United returned to Premier League action with what could have been a sticky trip to Goodison Park to tackle the Toffees but turned out to be so sweet.

Following the embarrassing defeat to the Gunners, United would have preferred to have had the chance to put the record straight within days of the loss but, unfortunately, they had to bide their time until the latest round of international matches had been completed.

It was a mixed bag for our international players involved in the Euro 2016 qualifiers with England, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Northern Ireland all making it through along with the hosts France, however, the biggest shock had to be the failure of Holland, which means that the finals will be without the talents of Memphis and Blind.

Time is a great healer, but the international break couldn't have provided van Gaal with the opportunity to address some important issues as the majority of his squad were on duty all over Europe. His main headache would have been the form, or lack of, of his captain Rooney, who hadn't managed to score against his boyhood club since 2007 and in fact Rooney's last league away goal for United was almost twelve months ago against Arsenal.

Louis van Gaal would have been sweating on the fitness of key players, including Rooney, along with Carrick and Schweinsteiger ahead of this crucial clash against a tricky Everton side, who have had the better of the Red Devils in the last three games at Goodison, but all were declared fit with the only player absent Ashley Young.

This meant that van Gaal was able to pick from a strong squad to try and turn things around after the poor showing against Arsenal a fortnight ago.

United's starting XI: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Jones, Rojo, Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin, Mata, Herrera, Rooney and Martial.

After indifferent displays in his debut season, Memphis was relegated to the bench alongside compatriot Blind but there were recalls for both Herrera and Rojo with Jones and Schneiderlin also back in the starting line-up.

Subs: Johnstone, Blind, Carrick, Lingard, Pereira, Fellaini and Memphis.

Both sets of supporters and players warmly applauded former Everton player and manager Howard Kendall, who passed away prior to the game. Kendall was the manager in the 80's at a time when Everton enjoyed their highest level of success.

United's formation meant that Rooney started as the main attacker with Martial and Mata wide of the forward with Herrera tucked in behind. At the back, Jones was to partner Smalling with Rojo slotting in at left back.

In the early minutes of the game Rooney, Mata and Herrera interchanged positions and passes well to try and gain an early advantage which hasn't happened on many occasions this season and it was Rooney, who had the visitors' first effort after ten minutes, but his effort from the edge of the box was pulled wide.

Lukaku proved to be a handful in the opening exchanges, especially for Jones, who looked so uncomfortable when up against the big Belgian. Smalling has enjoyed a great start to the campaign, but when he plays alongside Jones he seems to have his confidence affected.

Herrera called on ex-red Howard to pull off a smart save by tipping over a rasping drive. From the resulting corner, United took the lead in the 18th minute as the ball came out to Rojo who hooked it back into the danger area where Smalling was loitering and he chested the ball into the path of Schneiderlin who calmly placed the ball into the bottom corner of the net. A brilliantly cool finish by the French star for his first goal of the season.

Then the recalled Herrera made it an even greater start for the visitors four minutes later by heading in the second goal from a sublime cross by Rojo. This was by far the best start by United this season away from home.

There was a nice duel developing in midfield as experienced Schweinsteiger came up against the youngster Barkley a case of master and the apprentice with the German using all of his experience to come out on top.

A great chance fell to United just before the break as Rooney beat the offside trap and raced towards goal and instead of shooting he unselfishly squared the ball to Martial, whose shot was blocked luckily by the home defence then Everton went up the other end and De Gea punched away an attempt by Barkley.

Half time and United had played probably their best football away from home in the league this season with Rojo and Herrera both contributing so much on their return. However, Rooney continued to frustrate with another below par performance and more would be expected from him in the second half.

United made a change at the start of the second half as Jesse Lingard replaced Juan Mata. This was a great chance for Lingard to show the manager what a talent he is on a rare appearance for the first team and he was immediately called into action back in defence as he cleared the ball before Lukaku could do any damage.

Barkley and Schweinsteiger continued their tussle in the middle with the elder receiving a booking in the opening exchanges. Everton pressed and won a few free-kicks in dangerous positions with Rojo becoming the second United player to enter the referee's book.

In one attack, De Gea produced a stop with his legs to prevent a certain goal by Lukaku then the Spaniard followed up with further heroics by diving to save from Barkley after yet another Everton free-kick.

Just after the hour mark Rooney made up for his below par first half with a goal that reminded everybody what he is best at by latching on to a through-ball by the impressive Herrera and confidently stroked it past a despairing Tim Howard to give the visitors a comfortable three goal lead.

Let us hope that the goal pulls Rooney out of his slump and gives him the kick-start his season needs. Rooney has now equalled former red Andy Cole by scoring 187 Premier League goals, but is still behind Alan Shearer.

In another one on one with Howard, Rooney showed he still had the pace but was thwarted by the keeper before he could pull the trigger. That is exactly where the captain should play week in week out as the main striker and not be allowed to be pulled back into midfield where his goal scoring talent is wasted.

For the final fifteen minutes, there was the ritual change of Carrick for Schweinsteiger to freshen up the midfield against the background of the fantastic away support that was in fine voice as always.,

Magic Martial almost dribbled the ball through a wall of defenders and into the net only to be thwarted by Howard in goal. The French star is full of confidence when the ball is at his feet and is a breath of fresh air even out of position on the left. A couple of minutes later Fellaini replaced man of the match Herrera in the final change of the match.

The final ten minutes saw United go through the motions with one eye on the upcoming Champions League tie over in Moscow, but Martial was at it again in injury time when he danced through the defence on the byline and pulled an inviting ball back into the danger area which begged for somebody to get on the end but it wasn't to be.

With important matches upcoming including dates with Man City and Crystal Palace in the league and a League Cup tie at home to Middlesbrough sandwiched between the double header against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League it was imperative that United restarted their league campaign in a more positive fashion than they had left it at the Emirates.

This they did and in some style with a determined attacking display combined with some robust defending that puts the team in the right frame of mind for the tough month ahead. Ander Herrera put in a man of the match performance with his all-round enthusiasm and his goal plus assist put the icing on the cake of his display.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United's Dismal Defeat at the Emirates.

Arsenal 3 Manchester United 0

The Philosopher took on the Professor at the Emirates Stadium as Louis van Gaal and his side looked to get back to the top of the league in the capital while hoping to pile more pressure on Arsene Wenger.

After kick-starting their Champions League group campaign off with a victory over Wolfsburg this week United travelled to London full of confidence add to that the Gunners poor start to the season and hopes were high that the Red Devils would return to Manchester with all three points.

The biggest dilemma for van Gaal was who should fill the left back position in the absence of Luke Shaw. In the last two matches right back Darmian has played admirably on the left, but Valencia on the right has been a problem as was seen last Wednesday when he played the Wolfsburg attackers onside for their opening goal. Jones and McNair are able to cover on both flanks along with the versatile Ashley Young.

Another question for United is which Wayne Rooney would turn up on the day. Would it be the Rooney, who has the unrivalled scoring record against the Gunners in the league or the Rooney, who has endured a poor start to the season?

With the announcement of the starting XI by the manager it was clear that Young was preferred to Valencia and would start as the left back and in midfield the returning Carrick would add the valuable experience alongside Schweinsteiger with Schneiderlin on the bench but likely to replace one of the midfield duo at some stage.

Martial was once again chosen to lead United's attack and would be looking to prove his talent against another so called big team after a more than impressive start to his United career, having been directly involved in four goals in his first three Premier League games, netting three and assisting with one.

Man United's starting XI: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Blind, Darmian, Carrick, Schweinsteiger, Mata, Rooney, Memphis and Martial.
Subs: Romero, Jones, McNair, Schneiderlin, Valencia, Fellaini and Wilson.

Wearing their changed strip of all black United started on the back foot as the sides spent the opening few minutes entrenched in the visitors penalty area and the pressure from the Gunners paid off when first Sanchez opened the scoring with a neat near-post flick that was followed by a strike from Ozil to put the hosts 2-0 up in the opening six minutes.

Any game plan that United had disappeared straight out of the window and the match became a real test of the team's character to see if they had it in them to come back from the disastrous start.

Over the next ten minutes, United did attempt to try and conjure up something, but the end result was a massive let down with the final ball failing to amount to anything near a chance.

Then it was that man Sanchez again, who added the third with a blistering strike into the top corner from the edge of the box. The game was quickly becoming an embarrassment for the Red Devils, who had to be very careful that they were not going to be on the end of a rout.

To make things worse, that was the first time that Arsenal had scored three goals against United in the league since 2001.

Sanchez's speed and ability was causing Darmian all sorts of problems on the wing and the Italian went into the referee's book for a cynical foul on the Chilean after he was beaten for pace and pulled the forward back.

At least United had an effort at the end of the half as Martial span on a penny and got a shot away which keeper Cech managed to block and that was the only chance of note that United created all half.

Collectively in the first half United were poor as they struggled to get any type of foothold in the match and at times looked like a team of strangers playing together for the first time and if it hadn't been for some wasteful shooting Arsenal could have gone in at half-time five goals to the good.

To be a fly on the wall in the visitors dressing room would have been priceless as van Gaal must have ripped into his side as no-one could have held their head up as a United player after the most dire 45 minutes by any United team in years. Rooney had to shoulder most of the blame because as captain he should be the one on the field to lead by example but, unfortunately, his performance was one of the worst and not for the first time this season.

The second half couldn't get any worse, could it?

At the start of the second half van Gaal decided to make a double substitution by replacing Memphis and Darmian with Valencia and Fellaini.

Fellaini took up the position that Rooney had been playing in the first period and he himself started on the left wing and as the game went on he moved inside to a more central attacking position. Valencia was a straight swap in the right back position.

Just after the hour mark Rooney had his first effort on goal which was saved at full stretch by Cech and if not for a heavy first touch in the penalty area by Schweinsteiger he could have grabbed a goal back but the ball was smothered by the keeper.

As the game entered the final twenty minutes at least United tried to get something from the game and through some neat passing the ball ended up at the feet of Mata who tried to curl the ball into the top corner but pulled the chance just wide. Even the mercurial Mata was having one of those days to forget.

The final change came in the final ten minutes as Mata made way for James Wilson, who would partner Martial in attack in the hope of salvaging some crumb of respect from the defeat.

In added time, United's performance was summed up when Rooney gave away the ball in a dangerous area and Oxlade-Chamberlain saw his effort rebound off the crossbar. Maybe a fourth would have been too harsh on United after their second half display.

Overall the match was lost in the opening quarter of an hour in which the lack of concentration by United will be a worry to the manager as it is not the first time this season that the team have struggled to get going during the first half and even though they enjoyed more of the possession in the second half this was only because Arsenal had all but done the job. If there was one player who stood out in the tepid display, then it would have to be Anthony Martial who on numerous occasions at least tried to make the breakthrough in attack.

Normally, it is said that one bad result doesn't reflect on the season however, after what the fans witnessed at the Emirates it is a concern as the side lacked any type of cohesion and usually they can get away with one or two players underperforming but as a team it becomes more difficult. To rub salt into the wounds, the Gunners leapfrogged United into second place with a superior goal difference.

There is the now the upcoming inconvenience of the international break so van Gaal has to wait a week before he can address the problems emanating from the Emirates performance before some tough challenges ahead, including Everton and Man City in the league plus back to back matches against CSKA Moscow.

On this occasion, it was the Professor who came out on top and gave the Philosopher a lot to ponder.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United keep the Wolf from the door.

Manchester United 2 Wolfsburg 1

After returning to the summit of the Premier League for the first time since 2013 United's attention turned once again to the Champions League and a must win home tie against German outfit Wolfsburg.

The last and only time the two sides met was in the same competition back in 2009 when United came out on top both home and away with Michael Owen scoring a hat-trick in the match in Germany.

Louis van Gaal had a few injury concerns ahead of the clash at Old Trafford, including long-term casualty Luke Shaw, who had the terrible double leg break in the first group stage defeat by PSV. Also missing were Rojo, Carrick and Herrera.

Knowing that experience would be key against the Germans the manager chose his own German, Schweinsteiger, to bring the much- needed assurance in the midfield especially with Carrick absent and a be a helping hand to the players who are only just beginning their European journeys.

United's starting eleven consisted of De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Blind, Darmian; Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger; Mata, Rooney, Memphis and Martial.

Subs: Romero, Jones, McNair, Pereira, Young, Fellaini and Wilson.

The home side got the game underway, but disaster struck as early as the 4th minute as Caligiuri opened the scoring for the visitors as United's defence were caught cold when Valencia played the striker onside by not moving up with the other defenders. A really bad mistake by Valencia who had been a doubt before the match.

United's first real opportunity came from Mata who had a shot deflected for a corner quickly followed by in form Martial, whose curled effort ended just wide of the far post.

Wolfsburg, to be honest, started the brightest of the two sides and obviously came with a game plan to try and nullify United's attacking threat by defending as one and attack on the counter. The Red Devil's would need all of Mata's guile, Smalling's defensive savvy and Schweinsteiger's mastery in midfield to overcome the Germans.

Not for the first time this season United had started the first half poorly, but after a shaky twenty minutes they at last started to put pressure on the oppositions' defence and if not for some woeful finishing would have levelled. Especially from Rooney, who skied his effort into row Z after some brilliant work from Martial in the box to gift the captain the chance.

Memphis was next to miss a chance after he was played in by a wonderful ball from Mata but the young Dutchman's header was easily collected by the keeper. It was turning into one of those nights you dreaded at that Theatre of Dreams.

Then just after the half hour mark United got the breakthrough their play had deserved when they were awarded a penalty for a clear handball decision after a Mata cross. The huge responsibility was taken by Mata himself, who calmly placed the spot kick into the net to level the match at 1-1.

The goal seemed to lift not only the fans, but also the players as almost immediately Memphis had two chances to put the home side ahead but failed on both occasions.

There were two bookings in quick succession for Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger for tackles that the referee deemed to dangerous, however the challenges didn't seem that bad at all and in fact Schweinsteiger reacted angrily towards the German opposition player for his caution. Both players would have to tread carefully for the remainder of the game.

Half time and it was all square at 1-1 and van Gaal's side must have been ruing the missed chances that had fallen their way the main culprit being Rooney and his miss when it looked odds-on he would score. The players could take solace in the fact that their second-half performances this season have produced more productivity, which is certainly what was needed in this match as Wolfsburg still posed a threat when attacking.

United started the second half attacking the Stretford End with the hope of making the chances count and to get their noses in front as soon as possible. Young had replaced Valencia at right back strangely leaving Darmian at left back.  However, it was Darmian, who made a telling clearance from inside the box from an early Wolfsburg attack.

Then it was the moment when Chris Smalling became the unlikely hero as he netted from close range in the 53rd minute after a masterful back heel into the area by Mata. If anyone deserves a goal this season it is Smalling. The defender has impressed so far this term at the back and his overall game has improved from last season.

David De Gea produced his usual match saving save, this time beating away an effort from goal scorer Caligiuri.

On the hour mark, Memphis made way for youngster Pereira having just been cautioned for absolutely nothing. Another case of the Wolfsburg players overreacting to con the referee into booking a player. Unfortunately, Memphis had been mostly wasteful with his possession, but the experience should be helpful for him and the side in the future.

There was a scare for the United faithful as goal hero Smalling landed awkwardly on his right ankle, thankfully it turned out not to be as serious as it first appeared.

The visitors still threatened when on the attack and came close on a couple of nerve-racking occasions for the home supporters.

Van Gaal made his last change of the game when he replaced Schweinsteiger with Phil Jones and immediately the defender was called on to clear the danger from a Wolfsburg attack. Schweinsteiger didn't have the impact he would have hoped for but he gave his all for the cause. The change meant that Blind moved into midfield with Jones rekindling his partnership with Smalling.

Young made his way into the referee's book for time wasting at a throw-in and with the way the official brandished the card in the match the players had to be more careful. To prove the point Schneiderlin walked on eggshells for the last ten minutes of the match when he gave away a couple of free-kicks in succession and was certainly playing a dangerous game having already been booked in the first half.

United had a late free-kick in a dangerous area to kill the game off, but Pereira couldn't replicate his goal heroics against Ipswich this time round.

It finished 2-1 to a United side who were grateful for Smalling being at the right place at the right time to ensure the Red Devils achieved their first win of the season in the group stages of the Champions League.

Some of the performances need mentioning for differing reasons Mata performed to his usual high standard and he provided the outrageous back-heeled assist for the winner along with his penalty, unfortunately his influence was less felt as the second half progressed, Martial continued to impress as he ran the front line admirably, but it is Smalling who deserves the plaudits and the man of the match award for his all round marshalling of the defence and his deserved winning goal.

However, the one player who flattered to deceive was once again Rooney. On too many occasions the play broke down when he was in possession and as each week passes it's becoming the same old story as his performances are just not good enough for the quality that he possesses and it is a quandary that the manager has to face up to as quite clearly he is not getting the best out of his captain as was summed up with the clear cut chance he ballooned in the first half one that the Rooney of old would have buried with conviction.

On a positive note, the side registered their first three points in the group and will hopefully build on that as they face a tricky double-header against CSKA Moscow.

In reality for all of the Germans pressure on United's defence, David De Gea only had one save to make of real importance add that to a couple of last-gasp clearances from the defence and United dealt with the threat from the visitors who quite rightly were left chasing the game and in fairness United had ample opportunities to kill the game off.

Onwards and upwards.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

There's a new Martial in town.

He has endured comparisons galore by being dubbed the new Henry, Anelka and Kluivert but there is one thing for certain Anthony Martial has the potential to surpass all of their achievements and become a great among the greats at Old Trafford.

When the 19-year-old arrived at United at the end of the transfer window many eyebrows were raised, not only at United but around the football world, at the size of the fee paid for such a young talent.

The French teenager was signed from Monaco by Louis van Gaal for a fee that will rise to around £50m depending on how successful his career at United turns out to be. There was obviously something that the manager saw in him that many hadn't to make him the most expensive teenager in world football.

The United fans spent the summer trying to second guess who was the one striker that van Gaal had mentioned would be joining the Red Devils, Was it to be Muller, Benzema, Griezmann, Cavani or even Bale? But he surprised everyone by turning his attention to a youngster, who, although well known in France was relatively unknown in England.

However, from the moment that Martial made his debut for United as a scoring substitute in the 3-1 victory over arch rivals Liverpool all that changed and changed dramatically.

The manager had warned the faithful not to get too carried away with the striker, but that was not easy as he then went on to score three more goals, including a double away at Southampton and one in the League Cup against Ipswich Town all scored with that certain quality only a class striker has. His tally so far has equalled Falcao's total for all of last season.

His latest star turn came in the Premiership at Old Trafford in which, although he failed to score against Sunderland he put on a display of such maturity, strength and confidence it was as if he had led the line at United for years instead of only weeks.

The skill he showed in the assist for the Rooney goal was impressive and he also used his power and awareness to set up Memphis who really should have done better. At no time in the match did he shirk his responsibilities and on many occasions during the game he was surrounded by three or four defenders, which shows that opposition players have already woken up to his threat as a forward.

The impressive striker must be full of confidence after all the plaudits coming his way and it is so easy for a young talent to have their head turned by all the attention, especially at a club the size of United, however, there is one important factor in keeping his feet firmly on the ground and that is he is married and has a baby daughter.

Having such a young family means that he won't be spotted coming out of clubs late at night, but will most likely be snapped pushing a pram around shopping centers. Fergie would have loved him.

Along with the likes of Memphis, Shaw, Lingard, Pereira and Wilson, Martial joins a young group of players who have brought the belief back to the team that the future at the club is bright and they will provide the springboard for future success at United.

With all the attributes that Martial possesses he has the chance to write his name into the United folklore much the same as another deadly assassin did, a certain Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, now there's a comparison.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Man United League Leaders.

Manchester United 3 Sunderland 0

Manchester United defeated bottom of the league side Sunderland at Old Trafford and returned to the summit of the Premier League for the first time since 2013.

As United geared up for a busy period, which will see them take on Wolfsburg, Arsenal and Man City, the Old Trafford outfit welcomed Sunderland to the Theatre of Dreams with the hope of another three points that would keep up their momentum in the Premier League on the back of victories over Liverpool and Southampton.

The stand-out performer so far has to be Anthony Martial who continued his scoring exploits against Ipswich by netting a late goal in the 3-0 win that has given him a wonderful start to his United career having scored four goals in four matches equalling Falcao's total for all of last season.

The manager has warned the fans about getting over excited with the French youngster, but it is hard to ignore the Solskjaer like finishing qualities of the 19-year-old. His technique in front of goal is sublime to say the least.

Louis van Gaal chose a starting eleven that was more than capable of dealing with the bottom of the table Black Cats: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Blind, Darmian; Schneiderlin, Carrick; Mata, Rooney, Memphis and Martial.

Darmian would start in the left back position for the first time this season. It's not a position he is unfamiliar with as he often switched between right and left back while at Torino. Both Carrick and Schneiderlin returned to the midfield allowing Schweinsteiger and Herrera to have a rest on the bench.

Martial's tremendous form meant that he would start the game and Memphis was also recalled to the side. With Pereira on the bench, United ensured that they had a youth produced player involved in the matchday squad, a record that extends way back to 1937.

Subs: Romero, Jones, Herrera, Schweinsteiger, Pereira, Young and Fellaini.

United took only five minutes to create their first chance of the game when temporary left back Darmian surged down the wing and delivered a well-worked cross that, unfortunately, eluded everyone.

Shortly after, Martial showed his immense composure on the ball while surrounded by three defenders on the edge of the box by holding them off and winning a free kick that Mata wasted with a poor ball into the area.

It was an overly patient approach by the home side as if they were biding their time to strike at the heart of the away side. Mata almost made the breakthrough with a shot that was deflected for a corner.

The giant that is Pantilimon in the Sunderland goal made a costly error when he handled the ball outside his area to gift United a free-kick in a promising position, however, once again Mata squandered the opportunity. Where's Pereira when you need him most?

The away side's first real attempt on goal came in the 23rd minute, but the strike was well blocked by that man De Gea.

Half an hour in and it was the same old story for United this season as they enjoyed the majority of possession but created nothing of note in the final third.

Bottom of the table Sunderland took a leaf out of fellow North East strugglers Newcastle's book in the art of defending and their clear time-wasting started to anger the Old Trafford faithful as it broke up any rhythm to United's play.

There was a worrying moment when Martial went to ground clutching his right knee after chasing down Cattermole. Luckily for the side the youngster eventually got up, dusted himself off and got on with the game.

United wasted yet another free kick after a Johnson handball and this time it was Memphis who took the responsibility, but strangely he hit his effort so weakly that the keeper could have visited the club's museum before collecting the ball.

The breakthrough eventually came in injury time when Blind played a delightful ball into the area which Mata managed to connect with at the far post and his square ball found Memphis who steered the ball over the line to score his first Premier League goal for United and give the Red Devils the lead at half-time.

A first half, which was disappointing in the fact that United failed to produce any decent efforts on goal until a moment of quality from Daley Blind which opened the Black Cats determined defence.

The second half started perfectly as United's new hero Martial collected the ball inside the area and dribbled to the byline before delivering a ball into the six-yard box, which Rooney managed to deflect into the net to make the scoreline 2-0.

The goal by the captain was not only his first Premier League goal of the season, but also equalled Denis Law's league record of 171 goals for the club.

The second goal should have inspired the home side, but it was Sunderland who seemed galvanised by it as they brought an instinctive reaction save from De Gea among a crowd of players down by his near post. The Spaniard came to the rescue again on the hour mark as he saved with his legs when one on one with van Aanholt.

Just before the regular change of Schweinsteiger for Carrick for the last twenty minutes there was an excellent chance for Memphis to grab his second of the day and put the match well out of Sunderland's reach. Martial stormed forward with power and played a perfect pass into the path of Memphis, but when a goal looked certain the keeper came out and blocked the Dutch forward's effort.

Martial almost continued his scoring record when he got his head to a Valencia cross, however, the ball whistled just over the crossbar.

Blind took a nasty knock to the face in an accidental collision and was substituted by the manager with Jones coming on in his place.  Thankfully Blind looked none the worse for wear as he came off.

The final change of the game was Young for the lively Memphis and straight away Young interchanged passes with Rooney, who played the ball to Mata, but his first-time effort was well saved down low by the keeper.

The last ten minutes were played out in a pedestrian fashion with the home fans blaring out to the watching world that United was once again top of the league.

There was still time for Mata to add the icing on the cake when he put the ball away following excellent wing play by Young to make the score a deserving 3-0.

In the move for the goal Young showed once again that he is in superb form and fully deserves the plaudits he receives for his willingness to be patient and take his chance whenever it comes.

Full time and an important win that took the side to the number one spot even though having not played particularly well. However, it's the result that counts at the end of the day.

There were many players who deserve special mention including Darmian, who handled his defensive change without putting a foot wrong and along with his partners, Smalling, Blind and Valencia, ensured that Sunderland didn't really get a look in. In the middle, Schneiderlin produced his normal effective performance without any fuss and Mata once again showed his class and grabbed his first Old Trafford goal of the season.

But it is the French youngster Martial who has given United a new dimension to their attacking style of play and fully deserves to be named man of the match for his all-round display of strength and determination in attack. Although he failed to find the net in this game his overall play ensured that United had the upper hand when on the attack and he certainly has a mature head on his shoulders for a nineteen-year-old.

Let us celebrate the fact that United are back where they belong at the top of the league for the first time since the days of Alex Ferguson. This time under the philosophy of Louis van Gaal.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Pereira's class act at the Theatre of Dreams.

Manchester United 3 Ipswich Town 0

Andreas Pereira was the star attraction at the Theatre of Dreams as United eventually overcame a plucky Ipswich Town to advance to the next round of the League Cup.

Over the years, United has traditionally used the League Cup as a springboard for their young talent,  a platform on which to gain valuable big game experience. The likes of Beckham, Scholes and Neville all benefitted from playing in the competition at the start of their illustrious careers as has been true for many youngsters seeking to break into the first team.

This time round it was the chance of the young Brazilian Pereira to showcase his talents on the big stage and he certainly rose to the occasion with a display fitting of his heritage.

Since the rise and domination of the Premier League the status of the League Cup has diminished and is seen merely as an inconvenience and an early exit is not deemed disastrous as there are bigger challenges over the season. Having said that to lose to a team from the lower leagues is an embarrassment for the big clubs, just ask the United players who were humiliated last season by MK Dons 4-0, but that is not possible as nine of the players who started that match have all left Old Trafford.

United started this season's League Cup campaign against Ipswich Town at Old Trafford. Championship side Ipswich last played United in 2002 in the league, however, the result that sticks in people's minds is the 9-0 thrashing that United handed out to the Tractor Boys back in 1995 with Andy Cole famously netting five goals.

So, how would van Gaal approach the match, would he mix the side with experience and youth, or field a strong first team as a statement of intent? The answer was in his starting XI: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Blind, Young, Schweinsteiger, Herrera, Mata, Fellaini, Pereira and Rooney.

On paper a strong looking team with a first competitive start for Andreas Pereira and a chance for him to show off his talent in front of the Old Trafford faithful. Young and Valencia slotted in as full-backs and Rooney would spearhead the attack supported by Fellaini, Pereira and Mata.

Subs: Romero, Darmian, Jones, Carrick, Schneiderlin, Memphis and Martial. Phil Jones returned to the squad after his thrombosis problem, but not fit enough to start the match.

United and especially Pereira started the match brightly and almost took the lead through the youngster on a couple of occasions.

During the opening twenty minutes United looked comfortable in possession and that paid off in the 23rd minute when Blind played a delightful ball over the top for Rooney to latch onto and he made the rest look easy as he shrugged off a defender and instinctively scored his first domestic goal of the season with a left-footed strike to put his team 1-0 ahead. That was Rooney doing what he does best in the position where he is the most dangerous.

United enjoyed so much of the ball it was a surprise that they had only managed to score the one goal in the first half of the match if it hadn't been for some erratic crossing and dithering on the ball it would have been a higher scoreline, same old story so far this season.

Ipswich showed that the home side would not be having it all their own way and had to be on their toes at set pieces as the blues managed a couple of headers towards goal from dead ball situations. Blind and Smalling continued their fine partnership in the center of defence and proved that they have gelled well this season.

A first half that was bossed by United but one they would have preferred to have gone in at half-time having more to show for their efforts as not for the first time this season their buildup in attacks looked nice, but lacked that final thrust proven by the fact that they won no corners in the first 45 minutes.

It was the away side that started the second half on the front foot and United had to use all their experience to defend against the threats from both wings as Ipswich peppered the home box with cross after cross. Interestingly, with all the forward momentum enjoyed by the visitors they didn't muster one shot on goal.

Because of the visitors pressure United struggled to get into any rhythm as they failed to keep hold of the ball and knew they were certainly in a cup tie as the visitors had no intention of rolling over in submission.

It took the reds ten minutes to mount their first meaningful foray forward and it was the lively Pereira on the left who started a move that ended up with a shot from Valencia that was well saved by the keeper.

From the next attack, United won a free kick through Mata on the hour mark, which was right on the edge of the area. Mata and Pereira both hovered over the ball, but it was the Brazilian who ended up taking it and scoring with a delightfully executed curled shot which the keeper didn't even move for.

A superb effort from the youngster who had the confidence to step up and show his ability in front of the Stretford End, no mean task seeing as United have been woeful with free-kicks so far this season.

The Ipswich keeper, Bialkowski, made some amends for the second goal with a smart stop from a Mata drive from the edge of the box. The match was effectively over as a tie so van Gaal used the remainder of the match to both rest key players and also give other players a run-out. He began with a double substitution for the last twenty minutes when Jones and Martial replaced Smalling and Mata.

Martial immediately got in the thick of the action with an effort that followed a one-two with Rooney which the French forward put over the bar. Memphis, then made an appearance for scorer Rooney in the 80th minute which meant that De Gea would see out the final ten minutes as captain.

The excellent Pereira almost added his second in the last moments of the tie, but his effort was saved by the keeper and Memphis was almost played through on goal, but the ball ran away from him.

Then it was the goal machine Martial who wrapped up the game in injury time when he scored his fourth goal in as many games of his United debut season. He burst into the box on the end of a chest down from Memphis, then slotted the ball home confidently across the goal to make it 3-0 to United. The boy showed real composure to add to his tally and continues to excite the fans with his scoring exploits, long may it continue.

United saw out the match in a comfortable fashion and booked their place into the 4th round draw thanks mainly to the man of the match performance from Pereira, a youngster with so much talent in his feet and the confidence he showed on the ball was a joy to watch.

The match won't go down as a classic and at times United struggled to get going, having said that in the end, it's the result that counts and van Gaal's team did their job effectively enough for the Old Trafford faithful to go home contented.

United are blessed with young forwards who all have an abundance of talent with Memphis, Martial and Pereira all possessing the skill and ability to turn a match in a split second and with United busy on four fronts this season there should be plenty of opportunities for all of them to flourish as the season progresses.

After the match, the draw took place for the 4th round and it produced a favourable home tie for United against another Championship team, Middlesbrough.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.