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Manchester United traveled to Carrow Road on Sunday night looking for their first away win in the Premier League this season.
The Red Devils ended their away jinx against Partizan Belgrade in midweek, securing a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Serbian side in the Europa League. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was looking to build on that victory and knew that 3 points could do wonders for their position in the Premier League table.
Their opponents were going through a lean phase, having lost 3 of their last 4 games. However, Norwich City had already defeated Manchester City at home this season and had even rattled league leaders Liverpool in the first game of the season.
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Solskjaer was aware that the Canaries, despite being 19th in the table, could give United a run for their money and the Norwegian named his team accordingly.
Manchester United Starting XI: David de Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Ashley Young; Fred, Scott McTominay, Andreas Pereira; Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Daniel James
United started the game well and took the lead through Scott McTominay in the 21st minute. The Red Devils then won a penalty, thanks to VAR, but Marcus Rashford failed to score from the spot. However, the Englishman made up for the miss by finding the net in the 30th minute.
The away side was then awarded another penalty by VAR in the dying minutes of the first half, but Anthony Martial’s kick was saved by Tim Krul. United went into the break with a 2-0 lead.
After the break, Norwich threw the kitchen sink at United, but the away side held on. The Red Devils scored the third goal of the game through Martial in the 73rd minute.
Onel Hernandez got one back for the home side, but it was too little too late, as United held on for all 3 points.
Here are 5 men who helped United secure their first away win in the Premier League since February.
#5 Anthony Martial
The Frenchman started as the focal point of the attack against Norwich but had a rather quiet day in the office. His movement was good and he also combined well with Daniel James and Rashford.
He laid down the pass that led to James winning the penalty and also created opportunities for Rashford on a couple of occasions. He had the opportunity to score at the end of the first half but failed to convert a penalty.
However, Martial made amends in the 73rd minute, combining brilliantly with Rashford to venture into the box and then showed his finishing prowess to score United’s third of the game.
#4 Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Aaron Wan-Bissaka played the last 2 games as a wingback and had the security of an extra defender behind him. As Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reverted to a four-man backline, Wan-Bissaka had to be a little more alert at the back.
The Englishman had a quiet start to the game but soon returned to his element. Wan-Bissaka found a lot of room on the right to run into and he ventured forward at every opportunity, building a good rapport with Daniel James. While his contribution in the final third was lacking, the Englishman was near perfect in defense.
Wan-Bissaka performed brilliantly at the back, coming inside quite often to make crucial last-ditch tackles. He did pick up a yellow card in the first half for a rash challenge, but apart from that, the Englishman rarely put a foot wrong.
He was brilliant with his positioning, thwarting Norwich counter-attacks time and again. His alertness at the back was essential as United managed to hold on for the win.
#3 Daniel James
Daniel James started on the right side of the attack, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer attempted to fit in both Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial against Norwich. Even though it was not his favored position, James was not one to complain; he put his head down and worked extremely hard throughout the game.
He was relentless in his pressing, closing down the opposition and keeping the Norwich backline under pressure.
James also covered well for the marauding Aaron Wan-Bissaka, dropping deep to stop Norwich from taking advantage of the spaces at the back. He won a controversial penalty which Rashford failed to convert.
James continued to run riot and his crosses were the highlight of the game. In the 30th minute, he sent in a brilliant ball from the half-line to Rashford, who scored United’s second goal.
The Welshman also found Martial with another brilliant cross from the right, but the Frenchman’s meek shot was saved by Tim Krul.
#2 Scott McTominay
The Scottish midfielder is slowly becoming one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s most important players. In the absence of Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay continued in a double pivot in midfield alongside Fred and gave another fine account of himself on the pitch.
The Scot dominated the midfield and bullied the opposition at times. His presence ensured that Norwich never had any control over the middle of the park.
McTominay dropped deep to help out his backline, often working as a protective screen in front of the defense. He also ventured forward at every opportunity and covered every blade of grass on the ground.
He kept the ball moving and often tried to thread long balls from deep which unsettled the home team. It was early in the first half, though, when McTominay gave United the lead.
Andreas Pereira’s cross evaded everyone in the box, but the Scottish midfielder was alert and capitalized on an error from the hosts. He scored the first goal of the game and helped United settle into the game. McTominay did lose the ball that led to the Norwich goal, but it had little impact on the game.
#1 Marcus Rashford
With Anthony Martial back in the team, perhaps the happiest man on the pitch was Marcus Rashford. The Frenchman’s return enabled the Englishman to revert back to his preferred left-forward position.
It also meant that goalscoring duties were to be shared, which allowed Rashford to play with a lighter load on his shoulders.
The Englishman’s movement and positioning were very good and he looked extremely sharp on the pitch. Rashford showed a great turn of pace and combined brilliantly with Martial to keep the opposition under constant pressure.
He was full of trickery and ran riot on the left-hand side of the field. When United won a penalty, Rashford stepped up, but his feeble shot was saved by Krul.
A couple of minutes later, his forward run was spotted superbly by Daniel James. Rashford’s first touch was exquisite and the finish through Krul’s legs was even better. The Englishman continued to be a threat in the second half and his backheel assist to Martial for the third goal showed just how dangerous he was on the night.
