Cardiff 1-5 Manchester United: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s era starts with a bang
Manchester United romped to an impressive 5-1 Premier League victory over Cardiff City on Saturday in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first match in charge.
Three goals in the first half from Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera and Anthony Martial and a brace from Jesse Lingard earned all three points at Cardiff City Stadium, with Victor Camarasa’ penalty proving to be a little consolation.
The matter of fact that the Red Devils scored 5 goals in the league for the first time since Alex Ferguson’s final game should be music to all the fans. And the Manchester United era under Solskjaer got off to a dream start when Rashford blasted home a free-kick from 30 yards out that left goalkeeper Neil Etheridge rooted to the spot.
Manchester United made it 2-0 inside 30 minutes through Herrera, who fired a shot from distance that took a vicious deflection past Neil Etheridge into the Cardiff City goal. Cardiff, however, halved the deficit when Camarasa fired high into the net from the spot after Rashford was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box.
But the visitors soon restored their two-goal lead through Martial with a fantastic team goal that involved Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard. Solskjaer’s team dominated the proceedings with some exquisite one-touch passing and movement from the players. It looked like it was only a matter of time before Manchester United would add to their lead.
Paul Pogba was the conductor of United’s free-flowing football and had a couple of good chances but it was Lingard who dispatched a cool penalty after being bundled to the ground by Sol Bamba.
Manchester United came close to scoring their fifth with Rashford rolling his diagonal shot past the right-hand post of Etheridge’s goal. Cardiff got forward more as the game drew to a close but lacked quality in the final third and never really tested David De Gea.
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And in the stoppage time, Lingard iced the cake by rounding the Cardiff goalkeeper and slotting home from Pogba’s inch-perfect through ball.
Ecstatic with the 5-1 thumping of Cardiff, here’s how some United fans reacted on Twitter:
WE HAVE SCORED FIVE GOALS IN A PREMIER LEAGUE GAME FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE SIR ALEX FERGUSON’S LAST GAME IN MAY 2013. OLE EFFECT. 😭🔥
— Ramesh (@RameshMUFC) December 22, 2018
Give Ole a life time contract, liquid football is back at Man Utd. Love it.
— Devils of United (@DevilsOfUnited) December 22, 2018
Very proud of the lads. They out their heart and soul in this performance. Great start by Olé and Co.
— The United Link 🏆 (@TheUnitedLink) December 22, 2018
AND SOLSKJAER HAS DONE IT!!!!!!!!
— Harsha (@VintageMUFC) December 22, 2018
Now this is my United.. Everyone’s United!!
— ONE MAN ARMY (@GokuJunks) December 22, 2018
And when it’s pouring they just keep scoring, please don’t take our Solskjaer away!
— Aaron Simkovitch (@AaronSimkovitch) December 22, 2018
Winning was important but more than that it was the way how we won the march. Being ruthless , is a stamp of Champions and that’s how we played today. Thanks OLE !!!
— Naveen Kumar Singh (@Na7vs) December 22, 2018
permanent contract Now
— кат (@angeIickat) December 22, 2018
This is what happens when we play attacking football
— Scholesy18 (@18GingerNinja) December 22, 2018
Best performance so far GGMU❤️🅾️
— Spiritual jew (@AmejAhlid) December 22, 2018
After 5 n half years we scored 5 goals in a match
Ole ole ole ole ole…..— Lohit Gulla (@BabuLohit) December 22, 2018