Manchester United became the first team in Premier League history to reach the 2000-points mark as they saw off a listless Watford side 2-0 at Old Trafford. The Red Devils, who have now extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to 16 games, were dominant from the word “go” and were unlucky not to go 3-0 up in the opening half hour itself.
Juan Mata finally put United ahead after a smart ball from Anthony Martial, and it was the Frenchman who sealed the win on the hour mark with a smart finish at the near post. Overall, the win saw them temporarily move to the 5th spot on the table, and they are now just two points off second-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
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With their next league game in March, Jose Mourinho will be happy to see his team play with such dominance and authority before a crucial run of cup games in February.
Here are 5 things we learnt from the game:
#1 The Special Juan for the Special One
A lot of people were of the opinion that Jose’s arrival would see Mata leaving the club, just like it had happened at Chelsea. But, the Spaniard has turned out be a crucial player for Manchester United this season.
His movement in the free role that was handed to him was exquisite, and he combined with Henrikh Mkhitaryan on multiple occasions to cause severe problems to the Watford backline. The former Valencia midfielder opened the scoring for the 20 times Premier League winners, which was also his 9th goal of the season.
It is obvious that Mourinho sees the 28-year-old as a vital cog in his setup and does not view him as a luxury player, as viewed by several pundits.
Also Read: EPL 2016/17: Manchester United 2-0 Watford, Player Ratings
#2 Martial magic is finally on show
Life under the Portuguese manager has not been easy for Martial, but things may finally improve for him now. With several sources linking him to a move out of Old Trafford, the Frenchman had to take to Twitter to dispel all rumours and he took the field today determined to underline his commitment to the club.
He was electric right from kick off and took the mickey out of the visiting team’s right back Cathcart on multiple occasions. He was subbed off for Marcus Rashford late on in the game, but by then he had already set up one goal and scored another to decide the fate of the tie.
Mourinho was all praise for the winger in the post-match press conference and he was also rightly awarded the Man of the Match award.
#3 Watford missed too many chances
Watford came to Old Trafford boosted by wins against Arsenal and Burnley, but this proved a leap too big for them. Manchester United were completely dominant in the first half, and the visiting side were hardly given a sniff of the ball. The second half started on a similar note, and soon United were 2-0 ahead.
The second goal woke them up, and they started manufacturing chances from the wings. Darryl Janmaat fluffed his lines when he was put through on goal at the end of a superb counter attack, which was immediately followed by a low cross drilled in from the right, which no one was able to meet.
These were two of their best chances, apart from the Zarate free kick, but they could not put either of them to bed. Walter Mazzarri may have put some wind in the sails of the Hornets with those victories, but he needs to go back to his drawing board after this game.
#4 De Gea shows his class once again
The hallmark of a truly great goalkeeper is not the number of saves he makes, but the manner in which he makes them. David de Gea had almost nothing to do in the entire match, but that did not deter his focus. When Mauro Zarate drove in a free-kick in the opening minutes of the second half, he fisted the ball away at full stretch and managed to keep his side in the game.
With Real Madrid set to sign a new goalkeeper this summer, United are likely to face an uphill challenge once again if they want to keep him.
#5 Daley Blind puts Luke Shaw’s place in dangerous
Daley Blind may not be the most physical player, but when he plays, he is almost always a class act. Yesterday the Dutchman was employed at the left back position and he put in a great shift there, especially in the first half.
In the second, M’Baye Niang pegged him back but he proved a capable match on most occasions. His passing and crossing while on the overlap, repeatedly caused problems to the Watford fullback, and that aggravates Luke Shaw’s problems.
The England international, who is currently out of favour with his club boss, must be scratching his head at what he needs to do to get some game time. If Jose does go in for a specialist left-back in the summer, it will most definitely sound the death knell for the former Southampton prodigy's Old Trafford career.
