Norwich City 0-1 Manchester United: 5 talking points as Cristiano Ronaldo settles tense encounter | Premier League 2021-22 

#3 Problems persist for Ralf Ragnick despite Manchester United's victory

Ralf Ragnick has gotten his Manchester United tenure off to a perfect start.

Much was made of Ralf Ragnick's appointment as Manchester United interim manager following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking. The German tactician's methods are well-known. He was a mentor for several top German managers, including Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.

His three matches in charge at United have returned two wins and a draw that was recorded with a second-string squad. More importantly, there have been two clean sheets in as many Premier League games. That is a tangible sign of progress from a team that struggled to shut out opponents in the not too distant past.

Despite the wins, there are still some issues Ragnick has to sort out at Manchester United.

Marcus Rashford was far from clinical in the final third, while Bruno Fernandes was also off-colour against Norwich City. The two full-backs did not offer nearly enough attacking threat. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo had a poor all-round game despite scoring the winner.

The win is all that matters for now, but Ragnick knows his team needs to improve further.

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#2 Norwich City's defensive issues get exacerbated by Grant Hanley's early withdrawal

Dean Smith has defensive issues to worry about.

Dean Smith has a defensive dilemma on his hands at Carrow Road, with several of his first-team centre-backs currently on the treatment table. Matters exacerbated after Norwich City captain Grant Hanley was replaced in the 21st minute due to a shoulder injury following a tussle with Ronaldo.

A sign of how slim defensive options are for Eddie Howe lies in the fact that midfielder Jacob Sorensen came on for the 30-year-old Hanley.

Norwich City had to play for over 70 minutes against United with only one specialist centre-back. So they deserve credit for holding their own against The Red Devils.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo the difference-maker once again

Cristiano Ronaldo scored Manchester United's winner from the spot.

Cristiano Ronaldo looked off the pace for most of the game against Norwich City, giving away many passes in the opening hour of the match. However, the Madeira native made a difference even when he was playing significantly below his best.

Despite the ringing boos of Norwich City fans anytime he touched the ball, the United number seven ended up having the last word on the night.

He won and converted the penalty, which proved to be the only goal of the game. Ronaldo now has 13 goals for United in all competitions this season, including seven in the league.

The goal against The Canaries means Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored against 166 different teams in his professional career - 120 clubs and 46 international teams. Recently, he scored his 800th goal for club (687) and country (115).