Manchester United thumped defending champions Leicester City 4-1 at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday. Chris Smalling, Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba were all on the score sheet within 42 minutes, before Leicester got one back in the second half via substitute Demarai Gray. United held on to their three-goal lead and took all three points, pushing them up to third in the table, although all their title opponents are still to play this weekend.
All the talk in the buildup to the match was United's team sheet, which had been released a good hour prior to kickoff and did not include Wayne Rooney's name in the starting XI. The Manchester United skipper had been dropped to the bench, as Smalling walked out of the tunnel with the captain's armband on.
By dropping Rooney, manager Jose Mourinho had made a statement and lived up to his pre-match words that the United skipper had no privileges and was like any other player. To his delight, his players went on to deliver an even bigger statement on the pitch and make a mockery of their opponent's status of being defending champions.
Leicester started the match on the front foot and bossed the first 15 minutes of the game, almost scoring off a corner. However, United slowly gained composure and more of the possession, before Smalling stepped up and headed his side ahead off a corner in the 22nd minute.
United could have been 3-0 ahead in the first 30 minutes, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Rashford both scoffed their chances wide. However, the home fans were not made to wait long for another goal, as Mata, running sidewards just outside the box, turned and fired a superb left-footed shot into the corner of the net in the 37th minute. Pogba and Jesse Lingard were also to be credited for the goal for some slick passes that led to Mata getting the ball.
Three minutes later, Rashford made it 3-0 after a quick corner caught Leicester napping. Daley Blind took the corner and found Mata at the near post with a low cross. The United No. 8 crossed it to Rashford across the box and the teenager made no mistake from two yards out.
Leicester's misery was to increase further two minutes later, as Pogba scored his first goal for United after his return to the club with a powerful header off yet another corner. Leicester were looking deer caught in the headlights and would have been delighted to hear the halftime whistle.
Rooney's absence on the pitch was noticeable, but in a good way for United. Mata, who was playing in the No. 10 position, was having a brilliant game. Even if you took away his goal, the Spaniard was producing some silky touches and superbly linking with the full-backs on the wings, taking the ball ahead. However, the standout performer of the half had been Pogba, who had had an immense 45 minutes. The Frenchman had won all of his aerial duels, was bossing possession and finding his targets like a radar with his passes.
Ranieri had already thrown in the towel by the time the second half began, as he brought his two best players, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, off, with an eye on Leicester's Champions League clash against Porto on Tuesday.
United stepped off the pedal in the second half and were made to pay in the 59th minute when one of the Leicester substitutes, Demarai Gray, scored his first Premier League goal with a spectacular curling effort into the top right corner. The other sub, Andy King, then almost made it 4-2 in the 68th minute, but his side-footed shot from inside the box went straight to De Gea.
The home side managed to hold on to their three-goal lead and took home all the points, in what would have been a welcome win following two successive league defeats.