Manchester United had to rely on late cameos from substitutes as they secured a 3-0 win over Luton Town in the Carabao Cup third round.
Manchester United registered their first win of the 2020/21 campaign on Tuesday, securing a 3-0 win over Luton Town in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Following their defeat to Crystal Palace, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made numerous changes to his starting lineup. But the rotation did not impact the quality of the side as they did well to dominate the possession and keep things tidy for Red Devils, especially in the first-half, with a late goal from Juan Mata giving them a much-needed lead.
Luton Town did well to craft some opportunities for themselves, but lacked the end product. And eventually, they missed their opportunity to get back into the back as Manchester United substitutes in Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood scored late goals to seal the club’s victory.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Manchester United players following their win over Luton Town in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
Dean Henderson: 6/10
✅ First game for the first team
✅ First clean sheet
✅ First winLight work for Dean Henderson. ? pic.twitter.com/sk6TaR5hTn
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 22, 2020
A confident enough debut for Dean Henderson, who looked composed in between the sticks and did not panic under pressure. He showcased his ability to distribute the ball out from the back but had very little to do defensively aside from making an excellent save towards the end. A relatively easy clean sheet for the Englishman.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: 5/10
Replacing Timothy Fosu-Mensah in the starting lineup, Aaron Wan-Bissaka looked ineffective at times and once again lacked the eagerness to influence the game with his forays down the flanks. May have made a bigger impact on the proceedings but the game-time should be valuable for the right-back, nonetheless.
Eric Bailly: 7/10
Eric Bailly was simply one of the better performers for Manchester United in this game. He looked much more confident and assured than the man he was replacing at centre-back. There might be a few issues with the Ivorian’s fitness, but he can definitely replace Victor Lindelof for a place in the starting lineup within the coming weeks.
Eric Bailly’s game by numbers vs. Luton:
100% tackles won
82% pass accuracy
50% aerials won
3 clearances
3 shots blocked
2 interceptions
0 goals concededGood to see him get 90 minutes. ?? pic.twitter.com/6qFVZETEb6
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 22, 2020
Harry Maguire: 6/10
No real defensive mishaps from Harry Maguire, who remained calm even though Luton Town tried their best to create chances in the opposition half. A clean sheet would help him and his confidence.
Brandon Williams: 7/10
Replacing Luke Shaw at left-back, Brandon Williams had a decent game on the left flank. While Wan-Bissaka struggled to provide offensive support, Williams was always willing to march forward and help out his attackers.
His pace, quick feet and an ability to wriggle through spaces proved useful as he ended up winning the penalty that led to the all-important opener, just before first-half. A step in the right direction.
Fred: 7/10
Atheltic and hard-working as ever, Fred provided the solidity that was needed to see out Luton Town on Tuesday night. The Brazilian midfielder was also pretty reliable with his passing in what was a fairly decent performance in midfield.
Nemanja Matic: 7.5/10
Nemanja Matic got some much needed game-time under his belt by featuring alongside Fred against Luton Town. The Serb shielded the backline with his massive frame, winning 2 tackles, making as many interceptions while completing 4 clearances. It should help him find his feet ahead of a long season.
Juan Mata: 8/10
With the likes of Fred and Matic playing in central midfield, it was up to Juan Mata to provide the creative essence in the side and the Spaniard did not disappoint either.
As a matter of fact, the ex-Chelsea starlet showed signs of his former domineering self by manipulating the opposition with his clever passes and intelligent link-up play. While he created many chances, Mata also scored the all-important opener with a calmly converted penalty late in the first-half.
Juan Mata has been directly involved in 11 goals in all competitions since the start of last season [4 goals & 7 assists], the only MUFC players with more goal involvements in that period are Fernandes [20], Greenwood [20], Rashford [30] and Martial [31].
Gives MUFC the lead. ?? pic.twitter.com/LXONOTuH6b
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 22, 2020
Donny van de Beek: 7/10
After scoring against Crystal Palace in the last, Donny van de Beek failed to add to his tally versus Luton Town on Tuesday night. He tried to make things happen in the final third and even created a chance for Mata, but simply lacked the quality of players around him.
Jesse Lingard: 5/10
A sloppy night for Jesse Lingard, who failed to offer anything in the final third. The English international worked hard for his team, but the quality was lacking and this might even turn out to be his last game for the Red Devils, ahead of a potential switch to Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
Odion Ighalo: 4/10
Odion Ighalo was anonymous for the most part of the game despite Manchester United having control of possession and dominating Luton Town. He simply failed to involve himself on the proceedings and was rightly subbed off late in the game.
Substitutes
Mason Greenwood: 7.5/10
Mason Greenwood has been directly involved in 22 goals for Man Utd since the start of last season [18⚽️ 4?️], only Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford [both 31] have had a hand in more for the club.
Remarkable. ? pic.twitter.com/Rl6cGFyj8o
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 22, 2020
Replaced Mata in the 78th minute to provide some flair and dynamism on the right flank. Scored a late goal to add more gloss to the scoreline. A huge positive for the prodigious youngster after a difficult last couple of weeks.
Bruno Fernandes: 7.5/10
Made a quick impact after replacing van de Beek during the final phase of the game. The Portuguese international could have even scored a goal.
Marcus Rashford: 7.5/10
Marcus Rashford has been directly involved in 31 goals since the start of last season [23 goals, 8 assists], no Man Utd player has had a hand in more.
A promising end to the game for #MUFC. ? pic.twitter.com/NYDnjdlf5g
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 22, 2020
Scored the second goal, just ten minutes after coming on for Ighalo, which helped Manchester United seal the win.
This strike could do a world of good to Rashford and his confidence going forward, seeing as he has desperately lacked sharpness in the final third lately.
