After weeks of offensive struggles, it was neither Wayne Rooney nor Anthony Martial that got Manchester United back on track, but seldom-used forward Jesse Lingard who led the club to victory over West Bromwich Albion.
Thanks in no small part to a decisive pass from Martial and a somewhat lucky bounce past West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, Lingard sent Old Trafford into a near-frenzy en route to a huge victory to protect their fourth-place spot in the table.
Here are the Manchester United player ratings from their 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion:
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GK David de Gea – 7/10
The Man United defence could have won the game without their star stopper as De Gea wasn’t even needed for a save.
DF Marcos Rojo – 5/10
Hard to weigh Rojo’s dominance on the field against the multitude of dumb fouls that he was responsible for.
DF Daley Blind – 8.5/10
Blind answered the call for a big defensive game with one of his best performances in recent memory. He drew two fouls, made three successful tackles and cleared the ball five times.
DF Chris Smalling – 7/10
Smalling was a defensive force for all ninety minutes, keeping West Brom well away from the box.
DF Ashley Young – 5/10
Hard to understand how West Brom failed to do anything against the defence considering how minimal Young’s contribution was.
MF Bastian Schweinsteiger – 7.5/10
Another incredible outing for the veteran midfielder who displayed the leg strength of a much young man, hitting deep passes with pinpoint precision.
MF Michael Carrick – 8/10
Carrick kept the ball away from West Brom for the majority of the game, passing it more often than the opposing team’s top three midfielders.
MF Jesse Lingard – 7/10
Man United needed someone to end the scoring drought and most people were probably surprised to see Lingard answer the call. He didn’t do much throughout the game besides contributing the score though.
MF Juan Mata – 8.5/10
Great performance by Mata even before he sealed the win on his penalty goal. He drew three fouls and shot twice.
MF Wayne Rooney – 5/10
On the stat sheet it looks like Rooney had an okay outing, but something was sorely missing from his game and he was subbed late in the match.
FW Anthony Marital – 7/10
Martial showed a lot more aggressiveness from the forward position than he recently had done from the midfield – and he made a critical contribution in Lingard’s goal.
Substitutions:
Phil Jones – 7/10
Jones gave the defence a shot in the arm after replacing Young and kept his fellow stoppers in line to prevent any shots on goal the entire time he was out.
Cameron Borthwick Jackson – 5/10
CBJ did not get much time to make much of a contribution – not that the Red Devils needed it. He received a fond reception from the Old Trafford crowd glad to see Louis van Gaal putting his faith in youth.
Ander Herrera – 6/10
Ander had some solid passing in the few minutes he was on the field in relief of Rooney.