Preview: Liverpool welcome Manchester City in high-stakes clash
Goals, goals and some more goals are a guarantee when Manchester City travel to Anfield in the English Premier League!
Henrikh Mkhitaryan announced his arrival to the Premier League in stunning fashion, as his breakaway goal was enough to see Manchester United run out 1-0 winners over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The ex-Borrussia Dortmund man, whose fans coined the nickname ‘Micki’ after his barnstorming displays, finally got the goal he and the United faithful had been waiting for so long.
And it couldn’t have come at a better time for his embattled manager Jose Mourinho, who has been straddled with suspensions and under-performing stars this season.
The tenacious Ander Herrera gave a delightful through ball for Mkhitaryan, who sprinted with the ball into the box, pausing only for a slight moment before pulling the trigger, beating Hugo Lloris emphatically with a finish that scorched the roof of the net.
A minute shy of the half-hour mark, United had a goal which would have reminded denizens of fans of the golden ‘Fergie’ era. And while they couldn’t really build on the breakthrough, United to their credit kept a energetic Spurs at bay without too much fuss.
United were second best in terms of possession throughout, but had the lions share of chances at Old Trafford.
£100 million signing Paul Pogba came close to scoring twice, denied in the first half by a brilliant Lloris save and once in the second by the upright when his brilliant free kick left the Spurs free kick stranded.
The visitors needed the win as much as the hosts, but with star striker Harry Kane isolated for the most part, keeper United keeper David de Gea made most of his saves from set-pieces.
That statistic will worry manager Mauricio Pochettino more than the result, who seem to be unable to string a sequence of wins at the moment.
A priceless home win for United, whose perfect evening was spoiled when match-winner Mkhitaryan was stretchered off after Danny Rose came in late and hard towards the closing stages. The club will anxiously await the results of the Armenian international’s scans on Monday and fervently hope that is nothing serious.
The Red Devils remain in sixth place, but crucially just three behind fifth-placed Spurs. A close win it may have been, but a victory that will be cherished by most fans for it may just prove to be the spark to ignite their otherwise drab season.
Advertisement
