Manchester United 3 Sunderland 1
Man United: Blind (39'), Ibrahimovic (82'), Mkhitaryan (86')
Sunderland: Borini (90+1)
Man of the match: Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
MANCHESTER // The ovation was deafening for the returning hero. He duly rewarded the expectant fans by entertaining them.
It was not the tale of David Moyes’ day, back at Old Trafford for the first time since his dismissal two years ago, but of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who had only been out for two games, but was welcomed back in a way the Scot was not and pleased the crowd in a way he never did.
Mkhitaryan’s goal was Manchester United’s third of the day, his third of the season and perhaps their best of the campaign, an improvised back-heeled volley to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s cross that was audacious in intent and brilliant in execution, provoking gasps from the crowd.
“It’s the best goal I’ve ever scored,” the Armenian said. “Phenomenal,” said Jose Mourinho. “Offside,” said Moyes, pedantically if correctly.
Mkhitaryan’s half-hour cameo was a joy nonetheless. Moyes felt as luckless as a visiting manager as he did during his United days.
“I have always enjoyed coming here,” the Scot suggested, rather implausibly, because this has been his theatre of broken dreams.
Read more:
■ Results and round-up: Pedro leads Chelsea to record 12th straight win, Man United too strong for Sunderland
■ Andy Mitten: Jose Mourinho happy to have Alex Ferguson back at Man United: 'I wanted the players to see the big man'
■ Richard Jolly: His star fading, Wayne Rooney's pursuit of Bobby Charlton's goals record loses its lustre
A novel occasion nonetheless had an unwanted familiarity. He is a rarity among United managers in having lost more games at Old Trafford than he has won, the bare statistics underlining both his failure and the brevity of his tenure.
“It is a hard place to get a result,” he said, speaking from experience.
This was a 16th defeat, spread across his times at Everton, United and Sunderland, and the early hints that Moyes retains his ability to organise limited players were not enough to shake off the impression that Jose Mourinho is a significant upgrade on a predecessor.
The Special One saw off the Chosen One. One nickname has lingered, the other has not but Moyes was beaten not by his past as much as his replacements.
Mourinho’s fifth straight win in all competitions came courtesy of goals by a Louis van Gaal protégé, Daley Blind, his long-term ally Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan, the sort of high-class player Moyes proved unable to sign.
Remarkably, the Swede’s strike was his 50th of 2016. Like Mkhitaryan, like an exuberant, dominant Paul Pogba, he is restoring United’s swagger, which was mislaid in Moyes’ nine-month reign.
They rarely boo United alumni and he was spared jeers but his reception was almost non-existent. He made a low-profile entrance. Last out of the tunnel, he was first greeted by United’s mascot, Fred the Red, who hugged him.
Mourinho shook his hand; he signed a few autographs. It felt entirely normal, but this was an abnormal day.
He was hardly acknowledged by the crowd, as though they were trying to forget the shortest managerial reign at Old Trafford since the 1930s. That is Moyes’ unwanted legacy, a reign that is memorable only for the wrong reasons.
Mourinho’s is going rather better. Sunderland’s exercise in containment was ended by Blind, angling a drive past the excellent Jordan Pickford after a pass from Ibrahimovic, who ended with a goal and two assists.
“We gave away a dreadful second goal,” Moyes said. It was Ibrahimovic’s 11th in 10 games and came from a pass by Pogba; their chemistry continues to be profitable. It highlighted why United will trigger a deal to keep the 35-year-old striker until 2018.
“The clause is activated in his brain and in my decisions and the owners’ and the board’s,” Mourinho said. “Independent of goals his work is amazing. He was making runs against younger opponents. He was faster and stronger than them.”
Ibrahimovic’s cross permitted Mkhitaryan’s magical finish. A fine, but irrelevant, consolation goal that Fabio Borini volleyed followed.
Moyes nevertheless ended glum-faced in the dugout. It was another throwback to his time at United.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
