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Ahead of Manchester United's gameweek 12 clash of the Premier League, against Jose Mourinho's once-upon-a-time nemesis - Rafa Benitez's Newcastle United, Jose Mourinho sent the Red Devils' devout fans into a dizzying frenzy by admitting to the potential inclusion of injured trio - Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Marcos Rojo.
Pogba, who had been sidelined due to injury since September, was the only one of the three to find a place in the starting 11. Zlatan and Rojo had not made a single appearance prior to this game, this season, but to the joy of many, were seated on the bench.
While Rojo will have to wait a little longer for his time in the spotlight, Pogba and Zlatan made their respective long-awaited returns, and boy did they do it in style! An early lapse in defence saw United concede the first goal to a visiting side since April.
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In what turned out to be quite a comeback, the Manchester-based club wreaked havoc upon the Magpies and eventually ended the night with a resounding 4-1 victory, with goals from Paul Pogba(already?), Romelu Lukaku(finally), Chris Smalling(goal>cleansheet, right?) and Anthony Martial(does this surprise anyone anymore?)
Pogba all but highlighted his importance to the team, with a stunning performance that saw him run away with the Man of the Match award, thanks to a brilliant assist and a crucial goal.
As Manchester United ran riot yet again, their fans went absolutely nuts, and well, can you blame them?
As a result of 2 super-significant returns, the end of Lukaku's goal-drought, Martial's eternal presence on the scoresheet, Smalling's moment of defiance, Mourino's resurgence, and Old Trafford's general euphoria, Twitter, it seems, was the place to be, and the men in red sure did light it up. Here are some of the best tweets we found:
Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned from a brutal knee injury that many believed would tragically end his career. Despite only being introduced in the 77th minute (to one of the loudest receptions in recent times, at the Theatre of Dreams), Zlatan's mere presence on the bench seemed to fuel the fire that was Manchester United's spirited performance.
In the short time that he spent on the pitch, Zlatan ensured his presence was felt as he showed glimpses of what's to follow. The 'Daredevil from Malmo' also attempted an audacious shot, akin to the one that exiled him in the first place.
When asked to shed some light on his quick recovery, Zlatan replied, in well, Zlatan style, as he cheekily said "Lions don't recover like humans"
Paul Pogba also took to Twitter after the game, and promptly dedicated the performance to all those who stood by him while he was out injured. The Frenchman was exemplary and bossed the midfield all game. With a goal and assist to his name on return, Pogba was subject to bucketloads of praise from fans, pundits, and the Twitterati, alike.
Pogba's immediate impact only underlined his stark importance to this Manchester United, and fans widely applauded the 24-year-old's effort.
Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku also had a memorable outing, as he finally terminated what was becoming an increasingly worrying goal-drought. After a fabulous start to life at Manchester, the Belgian seemed to be going through a rough patch with zero goals from 7 previous outings.
He too, however, silenced his critics with an absolute bullet that threatened to rip past the net
Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling also put in exceptional performances, and were also adequately hailed on social media.
Chris Smalling also took to Twitter to express his views on the tie. Despite conceding a goal, Smalling's retribution came in the form of Manchester United's second goal of the night - one that broke the deadlock and subsequently allowed the men in red to simply run away.
The win effectively sealed Old Trafford's fortress-like impenetrability, after the Red Devils recorded their 38th unbeaten game, in a row, at the venue. Athithi devo bhava, what? (Athithi devo bhava loosely translates to 'The guest is equivalent to God' in ancient Hindu scripture)
The dismantling of Newcastle United reaffirmed Manchester United's 2nd-place position on the table, after having temporarily lost it to Chelsea, earlier last evening. Are the good times back at Old Trafford? Is this the beginning of something special?
