If this is how Pep Guardiola’s impending arrival across town can galvanise Manchester United then the rest of the season for Louis van Gaal and his men may be fruitful after all.
Anthony Martial lights fire for Manchester United to burn past Stoke
There is no certainty the Spaniard’s decision to join Manchester City had anything to do with this scintillating United display, of course. But it is fair to say that just when the embattled Van Gaal would want his players to return their finest display of the campaign they did.
That this was against a Stoke City side who first put the Dutchman’s job in grave doubt by handing United a 2-0 loss on Boxing Day in the reverse fixture was all the sweeter for him, and the manner in which United took the contest to the visitors and showed a ruthless edge is a welcome boost before Sunday’s trip to Chelsea.
It left Van Gaal understandably content. “The players have made a great performance, not only defensively but now also attackingly because we have created a lot of chances. We have made fantastic finishing of team goals, building up from the back. That is what I like to see,” he said.
Van Gaal could even joke about Guardiola’s appointment. “You have to ask [City’s sporting director, Txiki] Begiristain, not me,” the 64-year-old said.
“He [Guardiola] is my former captain so I am very pleased to see him and I can speak Spanish, so it’s convenient for him.”
As at Derby, Mata was selected at No10 by Van Gaal. After he impressed there and scored United enjoyed another dividend here as he helped create the opener.
The 27-year-old was heading infield but turned back to the left and switched play to Cameron Borthwick-Jackson. The left-back swung in a cross that cut out the visiting defence and Jesse Lingard headed past Jack Butland.
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This was the first opening-half strike here in 12 games, going back to a Mata penalty on 30 September in a 2-1 victory over Wolfsburg in the Champions League. Of Mata’s chances of continuing in the hole, Van Gaal said: “He was participating in all three goals so when he is playing how he is playing now the chance is big, but every player has to prove it every week.
“Even my captain [Wayne Rooney] has to do that because everybody has forgotten he was a substitute against Stoke City away.
“It is for everybody always the same with me. You have to prove it every game, every training session and then you play. When Mata plays like this, I cannot say to him: ‘Go to the bench.’”
Lingard’s third United goal came on 14 minutes and moments later Anthony Martial should have doubled the advantage. By making a mug of Glen Johnson he allowed himself a clear sight of Butland but the No9’s aim was awry.
Martial was to make the best amends by scoring United’s second, a peach of a team goal. The move started near the home goal and was pinged forward and beyond Butland in a matter of seconds. At speed the ball travelled from Michael Carrick to Lingard to Carrick to Rooney to Matteo Darmian to Mata to Rooney to Martial, and past the visiting goalkeeper. It was 2-0 and United were flying.
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So far, Stoke had been allowed close-to-zero scope to inflict the damage they had done to United on 26 December. The second half began in the same manner. Rooney barged into Johnson, raced at Butland and finished convincingly only for Roger East to disallow his effort for a foul on the right-back the referee failed to give initially.
This had Rooney arguing with East but his frustration was to vanish within seconds.
When United create as they did for the striker’s 244th goal for the club – and did for Martial’s earlier finish – it seems a mystery why they have struggled this season. Daley Blind had been the instigator of the Frenchman’s goal and he was again for United’s third.
The centre-back launched a pass to Mata, who turned the ball on to Martial. The 20-year-old rolled it on to Rooney and he had the easiest of tap-ins.
It confirmed this Van Gaal team can perform. Asked if such a display can be replicated on each and every match day, the manager said: “They are able to already for a long time, I think, because this season was only Arsenal and Crystal Palace better and the rest of the teams were no better.”
Mark Hughes summed up a disappointing evening: “The worst thing that can happen at Old Trafford is to concede early.”
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