- Scott McTominay opened the scoring with a clinical finish following some shoddy Norwich defending
- Marcus Rashford doubled Manchester United’s lead after Danny James played the ball behind the defence
- Tim Krul spared the hosts from a bigger defeat with penalty saves from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial
- Martial scored United’s third before substitute Onel Hernandez scored a late consolation
- Manchester United took their first Premier League victory in five games since their win over Leicester
- Daniel Farke’s side are still without a win since their 3-2 upset over Manchester City back in September
By the end, that old song about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer putting the ball in the Germans net was ringing through the night air, along with a new one mocking those who said Manchester United can’t spend money well. ‘Fifty million down the drain. Tony Martial’s scored again.’
Martial had, indeed, just scored at the time and though some perspective is needed – Norwich look increasingly like a side who will struggle – his team had delivered with a conviction which brings some desperately needed encouragement. It was their first away win in the league since February.
As the team went about their work, the anxiety was written across the face of Solskjaer, a manager who has visibly aged before our very eyes these past weeks, and in his players, whose routine of pre-match hand-slaps conveyed no belief that they thought they were about to storm the local barricades.
Scott McTominay opened the scoring for the visitors after a well taken first-time strike following a mistake by Todd Cantwell.
Tim Krul was on top form for Norwich making some fantastic saves including this one from Anthony Martial’s diving header.
They’d travelled to Norwich knowing that they were one poor performance away from another storm. It’s a long, bleak tunnel they find themselves staggering through.
Yet despite early signs of the same inertia and bluntness of mind which have plagued them, United provided hints of what their club once was and what it aspires to be.
A reminder of their place in the pantheon came when their opportunistic first goal – smartly struck from the edge of the area by Scott McTominay, one of the bright lights of these past months – made them the first club to score 2,000 goals in the Premier League.
There was more VAR drama after a lengthy wait which resulted in Manchester United being awarded their first penalty
Marcus Rashford missed the resulting penalty – his second of the season after also failing to convert against Crystal Palace
Anthony Martial also could not get the better of Tim Krul from the spot who made his second penalty save of the match
There was something more to that goal than its numerical significance, though.
McTominay’s decision to slide on his knees to celebrate in front of the Norwich fans was an unpopular decision and, officials might say, not best advised.
Yet there was a swagger about it that belonged to Sir Alex Ferguson’s great teams. McTominay was booed for the reminder of the evening. He’ll happily live with that.
For the vocal United supporters, looking for something substantive to cling to as they sang of their 20 league titles, United’s sweeping, quite sublime second goal also telegraphed something.
Martial’s deft lay-off, brought Daniel James’ clipped, first-time diagonal pass, which was taken down by Marcus Rashford with one touch and finished with a second. The defensive capabilities of Norwich, who allowed Rashford free rein, were woefully lacking. Yet it was still a goal of champion class.
United’s own shooting incapability, allied to some extraordinary goalkeeping by Tim Krul, contributed to them not being over the horizon by half time. Awarded two penalties in the space of 15 minutes by VAR David Coote, they managed to miss both.
The first should not have been theirs in the first place. James chased a long ball into the Norwich areas with Ben Godfrey in pursuit just before the half hour and seemed to been doing the barging before Coote somehow concluded – after half a dozen or more viewings – that Godfrey was the aggressor.
This was proof, in any more were needed, that the referee should also be viewing the replays. Justice was done when Krul leapt to his left to drop onto Rashford’s weak penalty.
Coote’s second intervention was justified. Todd Cantwell leapt up with his arm extended when it blocked Fred’s half volley from the edge of the area, three minutes before the break. Martial stepped up this time, with a spot kick which was better struck than Rashford’s. But Krul leapt to save.
The Dutchman immediately leapt to palm a Fred shot onto the roof of the net in a contribution which saved his side from an embarrassment.
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial would both avenge for their penalty misses to score United’s second and third goals
Norwich began the game well, counter-attacking with accuracy and enterprise through the excellent Max Aarons and Emiliano Buendia.
Aarons made life difficult throughout for Ashley young an Aaron Wan-Bissaka, on United’s right, and Young was eventually booked for ploughing into him.
But Daniel Farke’s side came nowhere near the same level which saw them defeat Manchester City in such extraordinary fashion here.
Scott McTominay ran the show in midfield continuing his good work as one of Manchester United’s better players this season
There was a consolation goal from substitute Onel Hernandez, who stole the ball from McTominay and met no opposition from James Garner, a United substitute, as he eased into across the area and finished with a low, hard shot.
The course of the afternoon could also have been different had Teemu Pukki, struggling to find that early season form, not blazed over from an Aarons cross.
But United found the spaces, provided the invention and fortified themselves for a difficult winter ahead.
Teemu Pukki had a quiet game for the hosts as he was unable to get much service from his team mates
Defeat for Daniel Farke’s Norwich mean they remain 19th in the Premier League and two points off safety.
Manchester United’s victory takes some pressure off Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s shoulders after his side’s slow start to the season.
https://youtu.be/JzJICKpQHp0
source:dailymail