Manchester United kept the momentum going with a comfortable 3-0 win over Hull City at Old Trafford. With goals from Chris Smalling, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, the Red Devils displayed their best performance of the season. With this victory, Manchester United have won their third consecutive league game for the first time since December 2013.
David De Gea (7/10)
The Spanish keeper had a quiet afternoon with nothing to do. He distributed well from the back and apart from a couple of headers from Nikica Jelavic, De Gea was sparingly tested.The back four in front of him defended well which earned him a second clean sheet in three games.
Antonio Valencia (7/10)
Valencia continued to give good performances in a defensive role, despite not being a natural there. He has stepped up well in absence of Rafael and continually kept ex-Red Robbie Brady quiet. Going forward, he was hesitant in releasing the ball on occasion which often slowed the play down.His final ball was poor but overall an impressive performance.
Chris Smalling (8/10)
Best game of the season for the Englishmen. Defensively he kept Jelavic quiet and didn’t commit any errors. His passing and link-up play with the midfield was accurate and efficient, constantly bringing the ball out the defence to launch the next attack. Capped an impressive performance with the opening goal of the game, a scrambled goal that trickled over the line before being given by goal-line technology.
Marcos Rojo (7/10)
Most comfortable outing for the Argentine in a Manchester United shirt thus far. Rojo made an unexpected return to the starting XI following his dislocated shoulder, kept the ball well and didn’t allow any free space for the opposition to have a go.
Ashley Young (7/10)
The winger was again deployed in the left back role due to Luke Shaw’s injury and continued to prove he could be valuable as a squad member. He consistently marauded forward and linked up well with the midfield. Defensively he kept Aluko at bay and made vital interceptions and tackles.
Maraoune Fellaini (8/10)
The tall Belgian bossed the midfield once again.Hull found it difficult to cope with his physical presence and he kept the play ticking with neat and simple passes. His physicality made it nearly impossible for Hull to launch counter attacks and meant United’s dominance last throughout the entire 90 minutes.
Michael Carrick (9/10)
An outstanding performance from an outstanding player. He was always calm on the ball and played dangerous passes in the final third. Almost found Van Persie with a majestic pass in second half though the latter was in offside position.Defensively as usual he won the ball and made vital interceptions to keep Hull at bay. Absolutely sublime performance and it was obvious how key Carrick is to United’s plans and strategy. Phenomenal performance.
Angel Di Maria (N/A)
Started the match brightly with some great dribbles and passes.Was substituted on the 15 minute mark as the Argentine tweaked his hamstring and will miss the midweek game on Tuesday. Huge blow for United.
Juan Mata (8/10)
The Spaniard started for the Red Devils after missing out last time around. He grabbed his opportunity and produced an impressive performance. Brilliant positional display and did his defensive duties well after starting out deeper in midfield. Moved to the tip of the diamond after Di Maria’s injury and dictated the tempo of Manchester United’s attacking play. His link-up play with Herrera was a delight to watch and could have grabbed himself a goal but he squared the ball for Falcao in the dying minutes only for the Colombian to have his shot cleared off the line.
Wayne Rooney (8/10)
The captain lead from the front and continued his good form by scoring a brilliant goal. Dropped deep to win the ball, constantly moving and interchanging positions with fellow attackers and pressed Hull’s defensive line hard to win the ball back quickly. Did his job exceptionally and continued his purple patch. Picked up a knock at the end of the game but Louis Van Gaal says he will be fit for Stoke on Tuesday.
Robin Van Persie (7/10)
The Dutchman had a better outing than in recent weeks but still wasn’t quite at his best. He was sharp from the beginning and made some great runs, always showing himself for the ball. He often lost possession in promising position but it was more because he was trying to make things happen than anything else. Assisted Rooney with a nice lay-off for the skipper before finally scoring a stunner in the second half. Promising display overall before being replaced by Radamel Falcao.
Substitutes:
Ander Herrera (9/10)
The Spaniard came on early due Di Maria’s injury and produced a man of the match performance. Linked up well with the likes of Carrick and Mata and was constantly looking for the ball. Played a pivotal role in winning the ball when not in possession and assisted van Persie brilliantly with a clever pass in the second half. A superb performance that will give Van Gaal a real selection headache for upcoming games.
Radamel Falcao ( 7/10)
The Colombian made a much awaited comeback when he replaced van Persie on the 70 minute mark. Made some sharp runs in the final third and came close to scoring in the end when Mata found him in the center of the box but somehow his shot was blocked on the line and he was unable to get himself on the scoresheet.
Darren Fletcher (N/A)
Came on for Valencia in the dying minutes and played some neat passes but wasn’t on the pitch for long enough to make any real impact.