(Photo: Reuters/Jason Cairnduff)
Manchester United opened its Premier League campaign with a huge win over rival Chelsea. The Red Devils posted a 4-0 win over Chelsea in what many pundits describe as a world-class performance for a club with a handful of new recruits.
Despite having a couple of new players on the starting roster, Manchester United delivered a performance that was on par with some of the top clubs in the league. Newcomer Daniel James scored one of the club's four goals at the 81st minute, essentially sealing the match.
Marcus Rashford was at his usual top form, scoring two goals. First came via a penalty at the 18th minute, and his second goal came at the 67th minute. Anthony Martial gave Manchester United its third goal of the season on the 65th minute.
A number of analysts have praised the performance of James, essentially shutting up doubters who have second-thought about how the player will meld into United's roster. Two new players also graced the Old Trafford, Harry Maguire, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Despite displaying an impressive performance, there are still some analysts who have pointed out the lack of Manchester United's midfield dominance. The trio of Andreas Perreira, Scott McTominay, and Paul Pobga played a central role in the club's recent win. However, some analysts noted that their performance did not reach the level on par with the rest of the team.
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has this to say about the club's current midfield, "I'd be worried about that. I think against the better teams in midfield they may get found out. Which is why I'm saying against the better teams - counter-attack."
Pogba also received a number of negative remarks from some notable football personalities. Former Everton manager Sam Allardyce said that Pogba was not able to improve his gameplay.
Most of the praise was given to Manchester United's defense. Maguire, whose transfer fee broke world records, was the focal point of the club's defense. Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho praised Maguire's performance, claiming that his duo with Victor Lindelof could be one of the most dominant defense partnership in the league.
Wan-Bissaka, who was acquired by Manchester United from Crystal Palace, also delivered a solid performance. He was a constant threat at the midfield both on defense and offense. He quickly connects to his teammate every time on the attack and collapses perfectly to help the defense should the need arise.
