Manchester United 4-1 Bournemouth: 5 men who were brilliant for Solskjaer

The night was long but at the end of it, a lot of people sat up and took notice of a revival at Manchester United. For the first time this season, the club had managed to win three games in a row.

Solskjaer's arrival at United had been widely accepted but were some doubts. However, Solskjaer has been brilliant so far with three wins and 12 goals in his three games as United manager.

Against a relatively tenacious opposition, United has attempted 11 shots and eight of which were on target. They enjoyed 65% possession and has attempted 683 passes with 90% accuracy.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be delighted at the way things have unfolded so far and he will be pleased to have come within three points of Arsenal, who are fifth in the standings at the moment.

Here in this article, we take a look at the five players who played brilliantly against Bournemouth.

#5 Ander Herrera

Manchester United v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League

The Spaniard has been given a new lease of life ever since Mourinho left Old Trafford and Herrera has grabbed the opportunity with both hands. After coming off the bench to settle the nerves against Huddlesfield, Herrera started the game against Bournemouth, alongside Matic and Pogba.

The Spaniard's ability to take responsibilities had been acknowledged even by his previous boss and against Bournemouth, Herrera did just that. His flexibility allowed Matic to have a greater impact on the proceedings.

Pogba, on the other hand, was so assured in Herrera's presence that he spent the majority of the time near the opposition box. The Spaniard did not mind though, he was as effective going forward, as he was holding the fort.

As always, Herrera silently worked hard and ensured that the team had that extra bit of balance that was required on the night.

#4 Nemanja Matic

Nemanja Matic picked up where he left off against Huddersfield and was brilliant in the middle of the park. He is one of the six outfield players who have started every game under Solskjaer so far.

For the people who were worried whether a Mourinho favorite like Matic would be a part of Solskjaer's plans, the recent games had been a reality check.

Matic had not just made Solskjaer's team, he has played some of his best football under his new manager. Against Bournemouth, the Serbian was brilliant, showing his passing abilities as well as nipping the opposition attacks in the bud.

Some of the balls played forward by Matic were so good on the night. The Serbian has adjusted well to Solskjaer's attacking tactics while also staying true to his defensive traits and responsibilities.

#3 Anthony Martial

Martial was drafted in immediately against Bournemouth as the Frenchman has recovered in time to replace Juan Mata. It was clear that Solskjaer held the youngster in very high regards and he justified it with a good performance.

Even though he was not among the goals against Bournemouth, Martial did not set a foot wrong in the entire game. He started from the left and then switched places with Rashford to pop up from the right.

He ran through the middle and dropped deep at times. The Bournemouth defense had no clue how to deal with him and Martial tormented the opposition at his will. He picked up an assist right at the stroke of half-time, sending in a sublime cross with the outside of his boot that was put in by Rashford.

Martial was extremely effective on the night and was instrumental in winning the three points.

#2 Marcus Rashford

Rashford had started to look a lot better under the Norwegian, but it was just the tip of the iceberg. Against Bournemouth, the English youngster lit up Old Trafford and even received a standing ovation from the stadium when he was replaced by Lukaku in the 70th minute.

Marcus Rashford had set the tone of the game as early as the 5th minute when he displayed awe-inspiring skills to break down the Bournemouth defense from the right. The turn, the touch of the ball, the body feints and the control could be watched over a hundred times as he set up Pogba to open the scoring.

From then until the end of the half when he found the net himself, the youngster was absolutely brilliant on the night and never gave a moment of peace for Bournemouth defenders.

#1 Paul Pogba

All Solskjaer did, for the untrained eye, was to tweak the Frenchman's position and gave him the freedom, yet there must be so much going on behind the scenes that the world is unaware of. Whatever the reason may be, Paul Pogba is playing out of his skin for Manchester United right now.

Since Solskjaer's appointment, Pogba has four goals and three assists in just three games. For the second game running, the Frenchman put up a Man of the Match performance and stole the show.

He started with a brilliantly taken goal where he anticipated Rashford's movements to make himself available in the box. He scored his second with a clinical header from a Herrera cross. Pogba stayed higher up on the pitch all game and also stayed true to his own game.

However, most important of all, it is a change in attitude that looks impressive. Against Bournemouth, Paul Pogba was brilliant and was the main reason United won the game.

Edited by Sujith M