Team Ratings: Manchester United vs Norwich City 29/10/2013

13. Anders Lindegaard - 6 - Was rarely troubled and saved to keep out Snodgrass in the second half. Will be happy with the clean sheet but needs to work on his distribution as his kicking sometimes looked below-par.

2. Rafael - 6 - Definitely seems to be finding his fitness and put in a good display. Was beaten once by Redmond early in the second half but overall did well in defence and attack.
5. Rio Ferdinand - 6 - A bit rusty after being out for a few weeks and it showed a couple of times as his passes went astray and out for throw-ins. Aside from this he caused problems in the Norwich box during corners and didn't have much to do against a poor Norwich attack.
15. Nemanja Vidic - 7 - Solid at the back and good in the air. Wasn't troubled but gave Elmander nothing.
28. Alex Buttner - 6 - Was very effective going forward and assisted Hernandez for his second with a brilliant cross. However against a better side he may have been punished defensively. Let Redmond past too easily once in the second half but luckily Lindegaard saved from Snodgrass' resulting header.
29. Wilfried Zaha - 6 - Put in some dangerous crosses but didn't get on the ball as much as Young on the other wing. Looked a bit rusty due to a lack of match fitness but will get better as he gets more game time.
23. Tom Cleverley - 6 - Bounced back from a poor display at the weekend with an energetic performance. Hardly put a foot wrong.
4. Phil Jones - 7 -  Linked up play well and was always strong in the tackle. Capped off a comfortable performance with a brilliant goal.

18. Ashley Young - 6 - Linked up really well with Januzaj but was guilty of some over-hit crosses.

44. Adnan Januzaj - 9 - Won the penalty, almost scored himself a couple of times and dictated play throughout as he constantly spread the ball and ran at the Norwich defence. They looked terrified of him. Clearly a wonderful talent.

14. Javier Chicharito Hernandez - 9 - Scored 2 goals including a well dispatched penalty. Showcased great movement as always and was a constant threat. Seems to be hitting some form.

Substitutions-

10. Wayne Rooney - 7 - Replaced Zaha. Over-hit a cross that could have provided Hernandez with a chance for his hat-trick but can be forgiven after assisting Fabio's goal with a beautiful ball over the top.

8. Anderson - 5 - Replaced Cleverley. Didn't make much of an impact.
22. Fabio - 7 - Replaced Januzaj. Scored a lovely goal less than two minutes after coming on. Great finish.

Match Report: Manchester United vs Norwich City 29/10/2013

Chicharito brace conquers Canaries and inspires 4-0 thrashing that sends United into the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup.

This Capital One Cup clash came as Manchester United were just starting to find some form. After their third-round victory against Liverpool last month, they were hopeful of extending their 5 game unbeaten run in this tie against Chris Hughton's Canaries. 

Javier Hernandez, fresh from his heroics at the weekend, earned himself a start up front whilst forgotten man Wilfried Zaha finally made an appearance on the team sheet for the first time since the Community Shield in August. Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic returned to partner each other in defence as Phil Jones started in midfield.

United began brightly and attacked with pace down both flanks. Their first real opportunity came inside 14 minutes as Januzaj put a lovely ball through to Zaha in space on the right wing. Determined to prove himself, he rolled a good pass to Hernandez in the box who somehow managed to get a shot away despite being on the floor with his back to goal. It was blocked and United upped the pressure from the resulting corner to force another chance. A short corner from Young allowed Januzaj to whip the ball in and pick out Ferdinand at the back post. He headed it across the face of goal to Hernandez, who couldn't keep his header down under pressure.

Januzaj relished his role behind the striker and spread the play as though he had been doing it for years. He was involved again just before the 20 minute mark as this time he picked out Young in space on the left wing and made it into the box to complete the one-two. Januzaj took the ball to the byline and then went down under contact from Fer which saw Referee Kevin Friend point to the penalty spot. United favourite Hernandez stepped up to take it and dispatched it perfectly, sending Bunn the wrong way to put the home side deservedly ahead.

Januzaj could have had a goal himself not long after with a long-range effort from 25 yards after Jones had won the ball in midfield. The youngster's shot just missed the top left corner of the goal. The 18 year old then almost got on the end of another Zaha cross after good work from Jones and Rafael, but Norwich midfielder Fer this time got it away.

United were hardly troubled in defence and the majority of their attacking play came down the left-hand side as Young and Januzaj ran at Norwich's defence and looked lively throughout. Just before half time both were involved in two good chances. The first came after Young showed neat footwork and passed to Buttner on the left. Januzaj then took the ball, ran past four Norwich players into the box and hit a shot that was blocked well by Bennett. It then came back to Januzaj on the rebound but his second effort was also blocked, this time by Bassong. 

Januzaj next found some space and threaded a ball through to Young who whipped in a ball from the edge of the box that just missed Hernandez. It remained 1-0 at half time with United on top and Norwich desperate to find a way to stop Januzaj, who was at the heart of everything United did well in attack. 

The second half started off better for Norwich as they tried to get forward and trouble the United full-backs. Redmond got past Rafael down the left and created a chance for lone striker Elmander with a super cross but the frontman couldn't steer it in with his outstretched leg and his contact only helped the ball to trickle wide and out of play. It was then back to business for United as they quickly went down the other end and got their second through Hernandez. United exploited the space on the left hand side yet again as Buttner put in a well-timed cross that found the Mexican. His header was saved initially by Bunn but it rebounded back for him to head it again and this time it found the back of the night to give him, and United, their second of the night.

Redmond, arguably Norwich's best player on the night, created their best chance to get a goal back on 56 minutes as he beat Buttner easily on the right and put in a dangerous cross into the box. Snodgrass got up to send a header goalwards but he made contact with Rafael on the way up and Lindegaard made a comfortable save. It then became apparent that Snodgrass had been hurt in the collision and this lead to a 10-minute stoppage before he was stretchered off and replaced by Pilkington.

It was a similar tale to the first 60 minutes after the break in play as Januzaj caused problems yet again. He eased past Fer in midfield and hit a shot from long-range that went just wide of Bunn's right-hand post. It got worse for Norwich as Redmond went off injured and United brought on the in-form Rooney, who within minutes had almost set up Hernandez for his hat-trick. Unfortunately for the Mexican, his cross was over-hit and instead found Januzaj on the right, whose tricky footwork and cross forced a corner. Young tried another short corner to Januzaj, who took on the substitute Pilkington and passed it to Rafael. United's right-back crossed first time to Hernandez at the far post and he headed it across the box but it was cleared by Bassong. His clearance found Jones near the edge of the box who volleyed it past Bunn with great technique to put clear daylight between United and the away side. 

There was eleven minutes of time added on at the end after the unfortunate collision between Rafael and Snodgrass and United used this time to add a fourth. Rooney lofted a beautiful ball from just inside the Norwich half over the top to Fabio, a late substitute who had found himself in between the defence and with only Bunn to beat. He chested the ball down and managed to squeeze the ball in to the net despite the presence of the on-rushing goalkeeper. It was a composed finish with the outside of his right foot and ensured United sailed into the next round with an emphatic victory.

United will now relish finding out who they will face in the quarter-finals in tonight's draw and will be happy with a performance that has proved they can be clinical and finish teams off. They are now unbeaten in six games and it finally looks like Moyes is getting the best out of his side.

Team Ratings: Manchester United vs Stoke City 26/10/2013

1. David De Gea - 8 - Conceded two goals he couldn't do much about and saved United from conceding more in the first half which could have seen Stoke drift out of sight. Unfortunately his defence didn't help him out much.

12. Chris Smalling - 4 - Let Pieters past too easily to create the first goal and looked out of his depth until he was subbed off late on. Appears really uncomfortable as a full-back and he offered nothing in attack.
4. Phil Jones - 5 -  Really struggled against the height of Crouch and was below par all afternoon.

6. Jonny Evans - 5 - Should have cleared better for the goal and conceding so early seemed to disturb his usual composure. Also struggled with Crouch and had a poor day overall.

3. Patrice Evra - 7 -  United's best defender on the day did quite well considering Kagawa kept drifting inside and leaving him exposed. He got forward on several occasions and luckily managed to create a brilliant cross for Hernandez's winner late on.
17. Nani - 4 - Frustrated the fans as usual with his selfishness and shots off target. Was rightly taken off although he was involved in the move for the first goal. Did not deserve to be booed off.

16. Michael Carrick - 5 - Struggled and not for the first time this season. Doesn't seem to be the same player. Gave away the ball, slowed down play and could not impose himself on the game. 

23. Tom Cleverley - 4 - Allowed Pieters to get past him far too easily for the first goal. Wasteful in possession and failed to put a decent tackle in, often getting bypassed in midfield. Never looked like creating anything and United looked much better when he was replaced by Hernandez.

26. Shinji Kagawa - 5 - Drifted inside far too much, exposing Evra and meaning United lacked width. Needs to adapt his game to fit into this formation.

10. Wayne Rooney - 8 - Definitely United's best player on the day. Forced saves from Begovic twice in the first half with the second allowing Van Persie to get the equaliser. In the second half he scored a fantastic header that set United on the path to victory. What would they do without him?

20. Robin Van Persie - 6 - Managed a goal and an assist even though he didn't look at full-strength and was often left isolated up top. 

Substitutions-

44. Adnan Januzaj - 6 - Did a good job and United improved when he came on, he drew fouls from Stoke's defence and they looked scared when he ran at them.

14. Javier Chicharito Hernandez - 7 - United's super sub struck again against Stoke. Definitely looks better coming off the bench.

25. Antonio Valencia- 6 - Attacked well and helped to ensure United didn't concede late on.

Match Report: Manchester United vs Stoke City 26/10/2013

Stoke left a little pea'd off as super-sub Chicharito rescues reds in 3-2 win.

Manchester United's third consecutive match at Old Trafford yesterday came after a mid-week win against Real Sociedad in the Champions League. Their focus now switched to the Premier League, where they were hoping to finally find some form against Stoke City, the League's lowest scorers. Stoke, on the other hand, were looking to take something from the game after United had already dropped points at home during the campaign.

Robin Van Persie returned to United's starting eleven as did Tom Cleverley and Nani whilst Shinji Kagwa earned his second consecutive start after a good performance in mid-week. United, who had scored inside two minutes on Wednesday after they had forced an own goal, were less fortunate in this match as Stoke were the side to take an early lead. 

United could have been the first to score after Van Persie dragged a shot across the box but Stoke managed to get it away, unlike at the other end moments later when Pieters easily got in between Nani and Cleverley and evaded Smalling on the left wing to cross dangerously for Crouch. The striker hit his shot first time and De Gea made a fine save to keep it out but Evans' attempted clearance hit Crouch and rebounded into the net.

It was the worst possible start for United and it could have been worse on 13 minutes when Crouch went close to doubling Stoke's lead after a Walter's header down in the box allowed the front-man to volley from close range. Luckily for the home side he couldn't keep his effort down and it sailed over the bar.

United had their share of possession but it was Stoke who looked more likely to score again as they always seemed threatening on the attack. United's defence found it difficult to deal with Crouch and if it wasn't for De Gea in goal they could have conceded more in the opening half hour. The young Spaniard was vital for United again when N'Zonzi's cross found Crouch, who chested down in the area for Walters. Walters then hit it first time from close range but De Gea somehow managed to get his hands to it and parried it away, whilst Evans then made a good block that denied Walters the chance to test the keeper again with the rebound.

Walters then turned provider minutes later as his cross found Arnautovic in the box, however his shot was tame and saved easily by De Gea. United finally began to mount some pressure and Rooney tested Begovic with a lovely curling effort from 30 yards that the Bosnian tipped over. Just as it looked like the score would remain 1-0 until the second half, United cut out a Stoke attack and broke well. Van Persie gave Nani the ball on the right who swung in a cross that Rooney headed goalwards from the far post. Begovic got his left hand to it but could only clear the ball as far as Van Persie, who had ran 35 yards to get into the box and was able to get on the end of the rebound and fire it in to put United back on level terms.

Unfortunately for David Moyes, United failed to make it into half time level as Jones gifted Stoke a chance on the edge of United's area right before the break. His foul on Arnautovic was unnecessary and it was the Austrian who took the resulting free-kick, a fantastic hit into the top left corner that left De Gea with no chance. Arnautovic's first Premier League goal meant Stoke deservedly went into half-time ahead whilst United had it all to do to avoid dropping points yet again.

United looked more determined in the second half and were boosted by some attacking substitutions made by Moyes. First he replaced the misfiring Nani with talented youngster Januzaj who had helped them turn the game around at Sunderland three weeks ago. He then replaced Cleverley with Hernandez, who has an impressive scoring record against Stoke.

Hernandez was involved almost immediately for all the wrong reasons as Stoke believed his late challenge on Huth should have warranted more than just the yellow card given by Referee Lee Mason. It would have been harsh on the Mexican, who only looked to be closing the ball down. United then made their final substitution, another attacking move as Valencia replaced Smalling at right-back. He made a difference immediately as he got forward and forced a throw in with a tricky cross into the box. Seconds later the pressure forced a corner which Van Persie sent in from the left. It was met by Rooney who curled a magnificent looping header over Begovic and into the far corner of the net to equalise for United for the second time with 12 minutes to go.

United had found some momentum and capitalised less than two minutes later as they scored the winner through a Hernandez header. The home side moved the ball around more quickly in midfield and got the ball out to Evra on the left wing who made it to the byline and sent in the perfect cross for Hernandez. The Mexican displayed his usual superb movement and evaded his marker with ease to head in past Begovic. It was a turnaround worthy of Sir Alex Ferguson himself who watched on from the stands with delight. Whilst United were poor in many areas, Moyes will be pleased they showed some of the fighting spirit they often displayed when Ferguson was manager. Stoke will be disappointed to have conceded two so quickly and so late on but they can be proud of their performance as they scored two goals away, half of what their whole goal tally was in the League before the match began.

United next face Norwich City in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday in another game at Old Trafford before they travel to Craven Cottage to face Fulham and ex-player Dimitar Berbatov in the League. They will be hoping to secure another three points, perhaps in a less dramatic fashion, to set them up for a home clash against League leaders Arsenal in two weeks' time.

Team Ratings: Manchester United vs Real Sociedad 23/10/2013

1. David De Gea - 7 - Did his job when called upon making a good save from Sociedad's only shot on target.

2. Rafael - 5 - Needs to be more careful with the challenges he makes in Europe and was subbed in the second half after being yellow carded in the first. Got forward well though and linked up nicely with Valencia in attack.
4. Phil Jones - 7 -  Had a 86% pass completion rate and made some decent clearances and vital interceptions. Almost scored too.

6. Jonny Evans - 7 - Solid. Again made some great long-range passes out to Valencia on the wing. Deserves a long run in the side.

3. Patrice Evra - 7 -  A good performance both defensively and in attack. Looked assured despite there being no proper left winger in front of him and made some good tackles.
25. Antonio Valencia- 8 - Always looked a threat going forward and attacked with purpose, unlucky not to see one of his crosses create an assist and very unlucky not to score himself after his shot hit the post.

16. Michael Carrick - 6 - Didn't do too much wrong but was quiet and gave the ball away a few times in the second half and still not looking at his best. Seemed to be limping at some points so he could have a knock.

11. Ryan Giggs - 7 - Somehow got better as the game went on. Unbelievable energy for his age and made some good passes. Assisted the offside goal in the first half.

26. Shinji Kagawa - 8 - Looked the creative outlet United have been lacking and linked up well with Rooney, especially towards the end when he finally had a chance in his natural position. Should have scored though.

10. Wayne Rooney - 9 - Created the goal, worked hard throughout and on another night could have had a hat-trick.

14. Javier Chicharito Hernandez - 5 - Put in a good shift but looks like he's still trying to find his fitness. Always gives 100% but definitely seems to do better coming off the bench.

Substitutions-

12. Chris Smalling - 6 - Replaced Rafael. Although he didn't get forward as much as Rafael he made some good challenges and decent clearances and helped to secure the clean sheet.

18. Ashley Young - 6 - Replaced Chicharito. Relieved a bit of the pressure by keeping the ball and winning corners. Looked lively.

Match Report: Manchester United vs Real Sociedad 23/10/2013

Star of David: Wayne Rooney shines in 1-0 victory that keeps United unbeaten in Europe.

After domestic disappointment so far this season in the Premier League, Manchester United relished the opportunity to silence their critics with a continuation of their unbeaten start to the Champions League group stage. Real Sociedad were the visitors to Old Trafford, a Spanish side currently struggling themselves in La Liga but hoping to capitalise on United's poor home record of late.

The main surprise in United's line-up was the omission of Dutch striker Robin Van Persie who was presumably left out of the squad due to injury. Hernandez took his place up front whilst Shinji Kagawa earned a rare start, his fourth of the season.

United got off to the perfect start when some brilliance from Rooney forced a Sociedad own goal inside two minutes. Evra won the ball out on the left wing and gave it to the striker who then skipped into the box effortlessly as he beat three players with ease. His shot then had Bravo beaten all ends up but came back off his left post. Martinez somehow failed to clear the rebound and hit it straight into his own net to put the home side ahead. Whilst it may have been a stroke of luck for United, Rooney's effort certainly deserved a goal. 

Rooney was involved again on 13 minutes as he got on to the end of a dangerous cross from Rafael after good work by the lively Valencia. United's number 10 sent a decent left-foot volley at Bravo but the Chilean keeper produced a good save to keep it out. United had all the momentum and began to play some brilliant one-touch football with Valencia, Kagawa and Rooney all looking dangerous on the attack. United thought they had their second before the 20 minute mark but Hernandez's header was rightly judged to be offside after wonderful work from Giggs. 

The remainder of the half was a bit stop-start as referee Bas Nijhuis halted play several times to give out yellow cards to both sides. This allowed Sociedad to settle into the game more as it interrupted United's fluency and impetus. The Spanish side took advantage and finally tested De Gea just before the half hour mark. Giggs was dispossessed in midfield and gifted the ball to Seferovic who ran at Evans and unleashed a wicked shot from outside the area that took a deflection and was tipped over the bar by De Gea.

Jones had United's best chance before half time with a header from a Giggs corner that should have been on target. Instead it flew over Bravo's bar and it was the away side that ended the half strongest as a terrific free kick from Griezmann beat De Gea but bounced off the frame of the goal and was cleared to ensure United went into half time with a clean sheet.

United started the second half slowly which allowed Sociedad to attack more freely. Seferovic was involved once more in a move that saw the home team almost score an own goal themselves through a clearance by Evans. Luckily for United they managed to survive the pressure with Jones and Evans looking an assured pair at the heart of the defence. United soon began to create chances of their own as Jones this time sent a headed effort on target after a wonderful cross from Kagawa out on the left found him in space at the far post. Bravo was alert to the danger and made the save to keep the score at 1-0.

Valencia had two decent efforts in as many minutes after good link-up play with Rooney on both occasions. His first drilled attempt was saved by Bravo but the Chilean was beaten by his second and will have been thankful to see his right-hand post deny the Ecuadorian the goal he deserved after Rooney's cute through ball had gifted him the opportunity to shoot. Valencia was involved again on 65 minutes as he completed a quick United move with a perfect cross to Kagawa whose shot was blocked bravely by Martinez.

United spurned another chance when Rooney blazed his shot over the bar after a nice headed flick on from Valencia. Sociedad saw a free-kick go wide ten minutes from time but struggled to trouble United after their dominant ten minute period at the start of the second-half. United continued to create opportunities up until the final whistle as substitute Ashley Young almost got on the end of a Rooney cross after Kagawa did well in the air. However, Bravo anticipated the cross and denied the winger the chance for a tap-in.

United could have had 4 or 5 goals and probably should have but it was a good performance all round by Moyes' men and they will be content to have three points, a clean sheet and remain unbeaten in this competition. There were many encouraging aspects of the performance with Kagawa, Valencia and man-of-the-match Rooney all playing particularly well. With another home match against Stoke on Saturday and a possible return for Van Persie, they will be hoping for another three points; although perhaps with a more clinical scoreline.

Team Ratings: Manchester United vs Southampton 19/10/2013

1. David De Gea - 7 - Made a decent save late on after never really being tested and distributed the ball well. Couldn't do much about the goal.

2. Rafael - 6 - Always looks dangerous on the attack although nobody got onto the end of his crosses. Did well to cut out some of their attacks but sometimes caught out by Shaw on the overlap.
4. Phil Jones - 5 - Seems more comfortable in this position but is prone to clumsy mistakes and should have done much better for the goal.

6. Jonny Evans - 7 - Looked composed and played some good cross-field passes. Dealt with Osvaldo well.

3. Patrice Evra - 4 - Constantly caught out of position, a liability at times as he often loses possession high up the pitch and can't get back.
17. Nani - 5 - Frustrating as usual. Nearly scored with a header but should have created more chances for Van Persie and Rooney.

16. Michael Carrick - 6 - Did his job well in the holding role and kept the ball well but United needed more energy in the centre and his partnership with Fellaini left a lot to be desired.

31. Marouane Fellaini - 3 - The game seemed to pass him by in the centre. Failed to impose himself and was shown up by the hard-working Wanyama. Slowed everything down and was poor in all areas.

44. Adnan Januzaj - 7 - Involved in the set up for the goal with a wonderful pass and forced a fine save from Boruc in the second half with a long-range strike. Also contributed to the cause defensively. Will only improve.

10. Wayne Rooney - 4 - Looked tired and sluggish. Had a decent effort in the first half but gave the ball away countless times and never really got going. Perhaps his England excursions catching up with him.

20. Robin Van Persie - 5 - Good instinctive finish but also looked tired and perhaps carrying an injury. Should have scored more really.

Substitutions-

11. Ryan Giggs - 4 - Replaced Nani. Proved that he was not the player United needed to come on. Ineffective.
19. Danny Welbeck - 4 - Replaced Fellaini. Could have crossed to give Rooney a tap in late on but took too long and ended up losing the ball.
12. Chris Smalling - 4 - Replaced Rooney. Contributed nothing.