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Cristiano Ronaldo scored yet another wonderful hat-trick to help Manchester United beat Norwich City 3-2 at Old Trafford on Saturday.
With Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal losing on Saturday, Manchester United desperately needed all three points to re-enter the race for a top-four berth. It didn't take long for them to get going.
Anthony Elanga stole the ball off Ben Gibson right outside the Canaries' box in the seventh minute before squaring it to Ronaldo, who slotted home to open the scoring.
The Portuguese international then produced a thumping header from an Alex Telles corner in the 32nd minute to make it 2-0 in favor of the Red Devils. It looked like it was going to be a rare, comfortable afternoon for Manchester United.
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But that was until Kieran Dowell headed home right before half-time to bring Norwich City back into the game. When Teemu Pukki scored the second goal seven minutes into the second half, it felt like we were witnessing yet another Manchester United capitulation.
Cristiano Ronaldo comes to Manchester United's rescue once again
However, Cristiano Ronaldo decided to whip out one of his special free-kicks in the 76th minute to restore United's lead. They managed to hold on till the final whistle and pocket all three points.
Manchester United are now fifth in the Premier League table with 54 points from 32 games, three fewer than Spurs, who are currently fourth.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five best Manchester United performers from their 3-2 win over Norwich City.
#5 Jesse Lingard
Many were surprised to see Jesse Lingard's name on Manchester United's teamsheet yesterday. The 29-year-old infused a lot of energy into the Red Devils midfield and outshone both Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes.
He always looked to push forward with the ball and his link-up play was pretty good. Lingard also had a half-chance which he did well to direct on goal but was denied rather comfortably by Tim Krul. He completed 11 final third passes, the most of any player, and also created three chances for his side.
Lingard faded in the second half and was taken off in the 63rd minute for Nemanja Matic.
#4 David de Gea
David de Gea came off his line to deny Teemu Pukki as early as the third minute of the match. The Spaniard then produced a brilliant diving save to parry a Milot Rashica shot that was headed for the bottom corner.
He did seem a bit unsure on the ball and his distribution could have been better. But there wasn't much the 31-year-old could do about either of the goals Manchester United shipped in. It was a pretty good performance from the Manchester United number one.
#3 Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho was a sprightly presence down the left wing for Manchester United. He was very sharp in possession and comfortably skipped past challenges on multiple occasions. Sancho completed four out of five attempted dribbles.
He created three chances as well for his side. It was one of those games where he looked nearly certain to make a difference but just couldn't apply enough finesse on that final pass or that final shot. But it was still quite a decent performance from the Englishman.
#2 Anthony Elanga
What you get with an academy product like Anthony Elanga in any game is plenty of effort. The youngster did remarkably well to pick Ben Gibson's pocket and then set Cristiano Ronaldo up for Manchester United's opener.
It was a brilliant piece of play and Elanga continued to cause problems in and around the final third for the Red Devils. It was the young Swede's decoy run that helped create space for Ronaldo's second goal of the night.
He won the free-kick that led to the Portuguese international's third goal of the evening as well. Elanga has plenty of potential and he is now showing us that he has the mentality to cut it at the highest level as well.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
How is it fair to call someone the 'problem' if they've been the solution so many times? It's not. Cristiano Ronaldo scored his second Premier League hat-trick of the season yesterday against Norwich City. Without him, Manchester United could have suffered yet another embarrassing loss.
Ronaldo stepped up when his team needed him the most and almost single-handedly earned three very valuable points for his side. He was a man on a mission against Norwich City, dropping into pockets of space to collect the ball and excelling at link-up play.
The 37-year-old has proven time and again that he can't be written off and Manchester United should thank the stars they've got him on their side right now.
