West Bromwich Albion were beaten by a Manchester United side brimming with confidence at the Hawthorns. United opened the scoring in the 5th minute through Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the Swede put another in the back of the net on 56 minutes to give his side a 2-0 cushion. Tony Pulis’ West Brom side who could not even muster a single clear-cut chance to trouble David de Gea in the United goal.
This was United’s 3rd win on the trot in the space of 7 days and Ibrahimovic’s 10th goal in nine games and his 16th in total this season.
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Here are the player ratings:
Manchester United
David de Gea – 6/10
de Gea had little to do all game and kept out an effort from Brunt in the first half.
Antonio Valencia – 6.5/10
Valencia was ever present for United at the back and is Mourinho’s first choice player at right back. He played a delightful ball to Lingard in the build up to Ibrahimovic's opening goal. He also created another chance when he crossed to Rooney but the Englishman headed the ball onto a defender. He wasn’t too troubled in the game.
Phil Jones – 7/10
Jones has been performing at a high level since his return to the side and continued with another solid performance against West Brom. He did a good job of nullifying Rondon all night. Jones and United fans will hope that he can perform consistently and re-assert himself into the side as a first-choice player.
Marcos Rojo – 6/10
Rojo’s good partnership with Jones in United’s defence has been a boost for United the past couple of games. He fouled Rondon just outside the box, but the West Brom striker fell to the ground rather easily. He clashed with Rondon multiple times and they got into a tussle in the 63rd minute that even got Jones involved in. He was later booked as well.
Matteo Darmian – 6/10
Darmian seems to have begun the process of adjusting to left-back but conceded a number of fouls in the game. He took an appalling shot that somehow fell to Lingard. But he did handle the threat of Phillips well enough.
Michael Carrick – 7/10
Carrick makes the United midfield tick and went about his job in typical fashion. He passed superbly and defended well enough in tandem with Herrera. These were his numbers from the game – 100% aerial duels won, 93% pass accuracy, 4 interceptions, 2 clearances and he was quite the dominant force in midfield.
Ander Herrera – 7/10
Herrera was full of energy all game and supported a number of United attacks. He did the running for the veteran Carrick and defended well. An all round good game from the young Spaniard.
Wayne Rooney – 6.5
Rooney had a chance early on in the game in the 6th minute when Valencia crossed to him but he headed onto a West Brom defender. He worked hard on the left flank and was denied in the 25th minute for a record-equalling goal by a combination of Ben Foster and the crossbar. He could have been more clinical in front of goal.
Paul Pogba – 6.5/10
Pogba showed quick feet and his trademark dribbling ability but was not as dominant in the game as he was against Palace. He did link up play between the midfield and attack and must surely have been a case of burnout having played numerous games for United this season
Jesse Lingard – 7/10
Lingard made a superb assist, crossing first time to Ibrahimovic for the opener on 5 minutes and in the 44th minute he was fortunate enough to get the ball after a horrible Darmian attempt but ballooned his shot just over the bar. He was a nuisance on the right all night and played well.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 8.5/10
A man of the match performance, Ibrahimovic really turned back the clock with a brilliant display. He nodded in a Lingard cross effortlessly in the 5th minute and then grew as the game went on, he then bagged a second after Rooney found him on the edge of the box, with still a lot to do, Zlatan jinked in and took a shot which deflected heavily before finding it’s way into Foster’s net. It was the Zlatan show, but his challenge on Dawson showed his nasty side and many would argue that he should have been sent off for that challenge.
Substitutes
Marcus Rashford – 6/10 (for Lingard, 77)
The Englishman was brought on on for Lingard and looked lively and made some excellent runs down the right.
Marouane Fellaini – 5/10 (for Rooney, 84)
Fellaini came on and did his job, and even got a huge ovation by the travelling support after being booed the previous week at Old Trafford.
Chris Smalling N/A (for Herrera, 90)
Smalling made his comeback from injury for a few minutes.
West Bromwich Albion
Ben Foster – 6.5/10
Foster could do nothing for both the goals but produced a great save to send Rooney’s fierce shot onto the bar. He kept United’s goal tally to only two.
Craig Dawson – 6/10
Dawson had an interesting battle with Rooney all game and in most spells kept the Englishman relatively at bay. He got booked in the 50th minute for a bad challenge on Ibrahimovic. He was then bamboozled by Ibrahimovic and it was his deflection that sent the ball into the back of the net for the second goal.
Gareth McAuley – 5.5/10
McAuley fought hard all night, but could do nothing to stop Ibrahimovic for United's second goal. He also had a couple of headers that troubled United in the 58th and 71st minute but did not test De Gea.
Jonas Olsson – 6/10
Olsson was perhaps West Brom’s best defender on the night as he battled hard at the back. He glanced a header wide from a Brunt corner in the first half but there was nobody at the far post to tap it in the net. He fought Ibrahimovic well enough but the United man came out on top in the game.
Allan Nyom – 5/10
Nyom was left for dead by the quick Lingard for the opener and could not keep the winger quiet.
Claudio Yacob – 5.5/10
Yacob could do nothing but spectate as Carrick and Herrera bossed the middle of the park. He wasn’t tough enough to ruffle the United midfielders and could do nothing significant to start attacks for his side.
Darren Fletcher – 6/10
It wasn’t Darren Fletcher’s best game against his old club as he had a torrid night against Pogba, but made up with his industry and effort.
Chris Brunt – 7/10
Brunt took a brilliant left foot shot and tested de Gea which was West Brom’s only significant chance on the night; he was their bet player going forward. He put in some lethal corners and free-kicks but was let down by his team-mates who could not convert.
Nacer Chadli – 5/10
Chadli did not have a significant impact and had very little influence except a small part in a move in the first half.
Matt Phillips – 6.5/10
Phillips was dangerous on the right and had a shot that went wide in the 37th minute. He provided a great cross for Rondon later on but was negated from exerting too much influence on the game by Darmian.
Salomón Rondon – 6/10
Rondon was given barely anything against a mean United defence. He had a number of battles against Jones and Rojo and then failed to convert a very good headed chance. He later got into a tussle and appeared to slap Rojo. He did, however, have one significant move where he dribbled straight at 4 United players and played the ball to Phillips who was called offside in the 61st minute. It was an ineffective game from him but he did fight hard.
Substitutes
James Morrison – 5/10 (for Dawson, 74)
Tony Pulis turned to Morrison’s creativity to get his side back into the game but he was perhaps brought on too late to make a significant impact.
Hal Robson-Kanu – 5/10 (for Phillips, 81)
It was a last ditch move from Pulis to get Robson-Kanu on to do something but it was a little too late.
Jonathan Leko – 6/10 (for Chadli, 82)
Came on for the poor Chadli and his movement and pace made some impact but didn’t lead to a goal.
