Pogba Shines As United Demolish Leicester

Jose Mourinho’s men bounced back from two defeats in succession to thump the Premier League Champions 4-0, thanks to goals from Chris Smalling, Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba, who scored his first goal for the Red Devils.

Chris Smalling put United ahead with a header before Juan Mata finished off a slick move with a beautiful strike.

Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba both scored from corners late in the first half to give Jose Mourinho’s side a four goal advantage and lift the spirit of the almost 70,000 United fans at Old Trafford.

United’s first-half performance was their best of the season so far, and went hand-in-hand with Pogba’s finest display since his world-record move to Old Trafford this summer.

“I’m very happy for the result and for the goal. Hopefully it won’t be the last one,” Pogba on his first United goal.

Leicester were so dismal in the first half that Ranieri replaced Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez at half-time to save their legs for the Champions League game against Porto on Tuesday.

Demerai Gray – who replaced Mahrez – pulled one back for the Foxes with a sensational strike, however United continued to dominate the visitors to ensure all three points in the bag.

Speaking after the game, Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho said: “I think the team played very well. We scored four goals and the striker doesn’t score.

“I think Ibra was phenomenal.

“We lost two games in the Premier League but we are not drawing we are winning, you have four victories, you have 12 points.

“I think today was about the result, the performance, was about the security for the fans. I don’t know when they had for the last time such an impressive performance.”

Manchester United captain, Wayne Rooney came on in the 83rd minute, as the skipper was dropped to the bench for the first since December 2015.

“A big player for me, a big player for United and a big player for this country, Mourinho said on Rooney

“I have nothing else to say. He’s my man, I trust him completely and he is happy at this moment.

“His team won, his United won, that’s normal.”

Before the match, Mourinho told Sky Sports that he had selected Rashford and Jesse Lingard ahead of Rooney because the game was “going to be phenomenally intense and fast, the way they play, the way they stretch the game, when our main striker is Zlatan we need fast people surrounding him to bring that intensity to the game.”

United’s first Premier League win in a month was sealed by half-time, but a third defeat for Leicester already matches their total for the whole of last season.