MANCHESTER: Bruno Fernandes scored his first hat-trick in English football in entrance of a raucous Feeble Trafford as Manchester United thrashed Leeds United 5-1 to win their Premier League season off to a flying start on Saturday.
French midfielder Paul Pogba also starred with four assists – one larger than he managed to your total of excellent season within the league – to again United flee rise up in entrance of their first elephantine crowd in 17 months. Fernandes got the goalscoring underway on the half of hour ticket, before a Luke Ayling thunderbolt out of nowhere levelled things up three minutes into the 2d half of.
It used to be handiest a short reprieve for Leeds, nonetheless, as Man United livewire Mason Greenwood fired the hosts relief in entrance before Fernandes added a quickfire third to save Ole Gunnar Solskjaer`s facet in repeat.
Fernandes done his treble with yet some other perfect carry out on the hour ticket, before Brazilian Fred got in on the act to total the rout and cap a memorable afternoon for the hosts, who laid down an early marker within the Premier League title flee.
“My honest every season is being better than the excellent,” Fernandes suggested BT Sport. “Every efficiency I carry out, I must earn out better and better. I`ve started with three targets but it’s a long manner to hotfoot.”
“We know the quality of the avid gamers who bear advance in, but the team used to be already very appropriate. We showed it excellent season. We didn’t preserve trophies, but the team used to be increasing up. Our focal level must be game by game. We’ll carry out one thing with this mentality.”
Pogba uncared for a cozy likelihood to start the scoring, slotting broad with the scheme at his mercy, and the Yorkshire facet then grew into the match with Mateusz Klich forcing a good assign from house goalkeeper David de Gea before striker Rodrigo headed broad.
The hosts, who welcomed new signing Raphael Varane onto the pitch pre-match, began to peer nervy with the stress of an expectant crowd, looking ahead to their first sustained league title topic since Sir Alex Ferguson’s excellent season in 2012-13, apparently weighing upon them.
However their top goalscorer from excellent season, Fernandes, got here up with the goods over again to settle the nerves, gathering a good pass from Pogba before slotting underneath onrushing Leeds keeper Illan Meslier.
Ayling’s strike from 25 yards out sparked scenes of untamed occasion among Leeds’ travelling supporters, who had waited 17 years to peer their facet with out a doubt compete down the M62 motorway at Feeble Trafford. Their pleasure, nonetheless, used to be shortlived, as yet some other sublime pass from Pogba picked out the onrushing Greenwood, with the Yorkshire-born teenager giving United the lead again much less than two minutes later.
Rapidly ample it used to be three, as the effervescent Pogba picked out Fernandes again, before Lindelof floated a omit the tip for the Portuguese to add this third. Fernandes is the principle United participant to rating a hat-trick on the opening day of a league season since Lou Macari in opposition to Birmingham Metropolis in 1977-78.
Fred’s carry out within the 68th minute made it five, with followers calling for a sixth – a repeat of excellent season’s haul in opposition to Leeds at Feeble Trafford – as huge-money summer season signing Jadon Sancho got here off the bench.
Whereas a sixth scheme used to be to now not be, the emphatic victory will no query underline United`s credentials as contenders for the title.
