Manchester United were shocked 2-1 by minnows Huddersfield Town in the Premier League. Aaron Mooy and Laurent Depoitre scored for the winners, and even though Marcus Rashford got one back for the visitors, it wasn’t enough for Jose Mourinho’s men to avoid their first defeat of the season.
The visitors had a first half to forget as they tested the home goalkeeper only once in 45 minutes. Lukaku’s early shot from Matic’s lobbed pass went straight at Jonas Lossl, while his acrobatic effort from Young’s cross went wide. The real action began after a heated exchange between Anthony Martial and hosts’ skipper Tommy Smith, which culminated in a booking to both players. Phil Jones was subbed off after just 23 minutes after he overstretched himself while making a challenge, with Victor Lindelof replacing him at centre-back. Juan Mata was robbed off the ball by Mooy who passed it to Ince, and his shot was saved by De Gea, but Mooy managed to put the rebound in the net to make the score 1-0. The hosts scored the second goal just five minutes later as Lindelof misjudged Lossl’s goal kick and Depoitre rounded De Gea and put the ball into an empty net.
Both sides didn’t have many chances after the break as Wagner’s side went all out defence to preserve their lead. United got one back after a brilliant run and cross from Lukaku which was headed past Lossl by Rashford. United were desperate for an equaliser but couldn’t manage one, and came closest through Smalling’s last minute shot which was blocked.
With this loss United missed the chance to stay in pursuit of Manchester City, who are now five points clear at the top.
Here are the major Talking Points from the match:
Poor Run for United
This was United’s third poor display in a row. United held Liverpool last weekend in the league in a totally ‘park the bus’ performance, and managed to scrape through a 1-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League after a below-par performance. And this was the third poor game in a row as it ended in the first defeat for Mourinho’s men this season. United are really short of confidence right now, but the mood around Old Trafford can improve if United manage to defeat Swansea in the FA Cup on Tuesday with a big margin.
Mourinho should start moaning about injuries
Mourinho has time and again stated that he doesn’t need to moan about injuries, but maybe it is now time for him to start doing so, as his side have suffered a lot from Pogba, Fellaini and Bailly’s absence. And it probably is a surprise, as it was pretty clear that United had the most squad depth at the beginning of the season, which was considered as one of their strengths in their Premier League title challenge. And since it is now clear that a couple of injuries can dismantle the entire United side, does that mean that they’re not capable of mounting a successful title challenge?
Huddersfield’s record day
This was a memorable day for the newly promoted side, who were facing United after more than 40 years. And they stunned the visitors with an emphatic win. The win is their first over the Old Trafford club in 65 years, and this victory would probably be celebrated for months and even years to come.
Big games ahead
This poor run of form couldn’t have come at a worse time for Jose Mourinho’s men, who face Tottenham and Chelsea, two of their title rivals this season, in back to back league games. With United short on confidence, this’ll be an entertaining pair of fixtures, which could ultimately define United’s season.