MOTD: Manchester United 3-0 Hull City

By on November 29, 2014

Steve Bruce was look for his first win against Manchester United as a manager in his 700th match as one, but he never even looked like coming close. His Hull City side didn’t do anything wrong, well, except for Hatem Ben Arfa, who was substituted in the first half, but were outclassed and outplayed. If United didn’t “deserve” their win against Arsenal last weekend, they certainly did today. Most of what Louis Van Gaal’s side lacked last week, in fact, came today.

Possession? That was the least of it. United ended the match having seen 76& of the ball, but furthermore, found themselves able to play that quick combination of three or four one touch passes to get out of a tight spot. Juan Mata came alive, and United’s midfield was given the freedom to roam. Once Angel Di Maria was taken off due to injury in the first half, Mata, Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera, and Michael Carrick were all jumbled into the middle with very little structure, actually benefitting United and making it hard for Hull to deal with. For most of the match Ashley Young and Valencia operated as United’s width, in a sense they were both United’s full-backs and wingers. This lineup, while unconventional, combined brilliantly, particularly up front with Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney, both of whom got on the scoresheet.

All around it was a brilliant win for United – one that finished off their first run of three wins in a row in 2014. United can only look up from here. They have now pulled away from Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, and Everton, and sit just two points behind Manchester City, though their cross-town rivals have a game in hand, in fourth. Mata finally showed glimpses of his form from 2012/2013, as did Van Persie, who bagged his first goal of the season to give his confidence a massive boost. Falcao also came back from injury and so nearly scored as well. Hull never looked like they had a chance in the world of taking the result from United.

From the start, the home side were dominant. Hull simply could not keep up with their pace, and the same went from start to finish. It was just sixteen minutes in when United inevitably took the lead, despite Di Maria having come off due to injury a few moments prior. Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor somehow kept the ball out of the back of the net in a goalmouth scramble following a corner, but eventually let Chris Smalling’s volley millimeters over the line. Smalling immediately went from the villain sent off in the Manchester Derby to hero. Soon after be almost had a second, seeing his deflected effort from Mata’s cross end up in the side netting. Van Persie also tested McGregor late on in the first half, but had the ball stuck under his feet and couldn’t get enough power to really trouble the goalkeeper. Then, United took the first step to preserving their lead by grabbing a second. Herrera laid it off to Rooney, who faked McGregor out by setting up for a far post finish but curling it near post from twenty yards instead.

But, where earlier this season United may have fallen and surrendered part or all of their lead, on the other side of the half they were just as dominant. Van Gaal’s side did take their foot off the class, thus Andy Robertson gave David De Gea small work with a low effort, and Nikica Jelavic sent a header over the crossbar, and forced De Gea to make a far post save from another in the seventy-fifth minute. However, at the same time Mata came close with a shot across goal and Smalling saw his header cleared off the line. And sixty-six minutes in, Van Persie put the game past Hull. Herrera dispossessed Hull in their own third before playing it into Van Persie, who let the ball roll to his dominant left foot and slice an inch-perfect shot into the top left corner. Moreover, he may have also put the goal drought he has recently been through behind him.

“I needed it.” – Robin Van Persie

Falcao would also come on and force Michael Dawson into an incredible block on the line to keep his low shot out after Mata had squared it to him following a one-two with Fellaini. It was the football United have wanted to play all season. Fast, calm, and clinical all at once.
Man of the Match: Juan Mata

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.