Premier League 2: United 1 Arsenal 0

United's youngsters have faced some tough games this season against sides with older and more experienced players, but this was a young Arsenal team and the Reds just about edged a deserved victory thanks to an early goal from Ro-Shaun Williams.

It came after only six minutes, Williams stooping at the far post to score with a well-placed header.  Although Arsenal had the bulk of the possession in the first half, this largely consisted of fairly toothless probing of the comfortable United defence and it was the Reds who came closest to scoring the next goal, Olosunde finding himself through on goal in the closing minutes of the half, only for Arsenal keeper Keto to turn his shot wide.  

United took the game to Arsenal in the second half, pushing hard for a second goal but not producing an effort that threatened Keto until the keeper did superbly to keep out Harrop's shot from an angle in the 65th minute.  In what was now becoming a more open game, Hinds drew a save from Johnstone with his side's first shot on target and Poole did well to clear the danger deep in his own area following another dangerous attack from the Gunners.

Arguably United's two best players on the night, Riley and Harrop, linked well in an attack that saw the latter's effort saved but by that point United had seen off the best Arsenal had to offer and were able to see the game out for a well-earned three points.

Chelsea 4 United 0

Mourinho and United were unfairly criticised for alleged defensive tactics at Anfield but here, with a performance that sorely lacked any defensive discipline, the criticism the Reds will receive will be entirely warranted.

Whether United planned to contain or take the game to Chelsea we'll never know because it took only thirty seconds for the home side to score.  Confusion between Blind and Smalling allowed Pedro to sneak in and latch onto what was probably a misplaced pass to give his team the lead. 

Although the Reds offered some threat of their own, particularly through Valencia on the right, defensively they continued to look shaky and it was no surprise when Chelsea extended their lead.  United's inability to deal with a routine corner led to the ball falling to an unmarked Cahill, who stabbed home off Blind on the line.

Although the Reds pressed to get back into the game, they always looked vulnerable to Chelsea's counter-attacks and the midfield looked unable to control the game in the way they had for so much of the draw at Liverpool on Monday night.  Admittedly, Chelsea ought to have been a man down when an appalling challenge from David Luiz on Fellaini somehow resulted only in a yellow card.  However, there was no question that other things that didn't go their way in that first half were to a large degree of United's own making.

United were largely dominant in the early stages of the second half, but Chelsea continued to carry a threat on the break and when Hazard was allowed room in the box to drive his shot beyond De Gea it effectively ended the contest.  Then, when Kante found the same kind of space to drift into the area and score Chelsea's fourth, the scoreline became embarrassing.

The result leaves United some way off the pace in their pursuit of the Premiership's leading teams and the performance that yielded it will continue to raise questions about whether the Reds can be any more optimistic about Champions League qualification this season that they were last year.  As for Mourinho, he'll want to draw a line under this first visit to his former club as quickly as possible.

United 1 Stoke 1

Had it not been for a number of missed chances, a superb performance from Stoke keeper Lee Green and one moment of shambolic defending late in the game, United would surely have strolled to a fourth consecutive win and all the post-match talk would have been about a victory earned the United way and positive feelings to take into the international break.

Despite the disappointment of dropping two points, perhaps we shouldn't dismiss those positives too easily.  After all, many Reds were heard to say last season that, if we failed to win, at least it would be good to do so the United way.  That was certainly what happened here.  United swarmed all over Stoke early on, with Grant keeping out efforts from Lingard and Mata and Pogba spurning two excellent chances in front of goal.

There were enough chances for United to have gone in at half-time four-nil up for the second weekend running.  Perhaps the failure to go ahead explained why the Reds looked a little more sluggish after the break, but they soon got into their stride again and Herrera and Ibrahimovic both struck shots narrowly wide as United pushed for a breakthrough.

It came, as on Thursday, following a substitution.  Martial's introduction saw him take up Rashford's position on the left, with the youngster moving to the right, and it was the former who put United ahead, unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

It was no more than United deserved and, at that point, it looked as if it might finally open the floodgates.  Sadly, though, from a rare attack, Joe Allen bundled over the line after Walters' shot had deflected off Eric Bailly.  Even then, United might have snatched it, with Grant making another fine save from Ibrahimovic and Pogba hitting the crossbar.

It was a frustrating afternoon for the Reds.  Even so, there are clear signs that Mourinho is settling on a line-up and a way of playing that will surely bring greater rewards in the future.  Frankly, we've often seen United in recent seasons play worse than this and win.

Europa League: United 1 Zorya Luhansk 0

United were forced to work hard for this win by well-organised opponents who defended stubbornly and frustrated the Reds until Ibrahimovic's second half strike broke the deadlock.

Chances were at a premium throughout the game and, aside from a shot from Rashford that crashed against the bar, United's dominance of possession brought them few chances.  Mata in particular was given little space in which to operate while Ibrahimovic was frequently forced into deep positions.  Some of the Swede's touches were sublime, however, and it always seemed likely that, should the Reds made a breakthrough, he would be involved.

It was the second half introduction of Rooney that brought the crucial goal in the 69th minutes.  His arrival saw Mata move to the right and, for the first time in the match, the Spaniard broke free of the tight marking and, when the ball arrived in the box, it fell to Rooney.  He snatched at the chance but his shot bounced towards the far post where Ibrahimovic was on hand to score with his head.

Zorya threatened occasionally on the break, on one occasion forcing a smart save from Romero, but United rarely looked troubled defensively.  Many United supporters will point to the absence of Herrera in midfield as the reason for build-up play that was laboured at times and there was a sense that an injection of pace in the middle of the park might well have broken through the visitors' defensive set-up earlier.

Ultimately, though, the three points were in the bag and United are off the mark in the Europa League group stage.

PL2: Everton 2 United 0

United were, sadly, thoroughly outplayed at Southport as Everton strolled to a 2-0 victory.  

Once again, a United team without a recognised striker lacked penetration and the best of the first half action was in the Reds' area.  In the absence of that forward threat, United have relied on a solid defence this season but both Everton goals had an element of United pressing the self-destruct button about them.  

The home side took the lead in the first half when Poole's pass across his own goal allowing Calvert-Lewin to sneak in and score past the helpless Sam Johnstone.   It wasn't an isolated moment. United often looked stretched at the back as Everton sought to increase their advantage after the break.  It wasn't long before they did so, with Poole again at fault, this time on a corner as he failed to rise for an aerial challenge with Niasse, who comfortably scored with his head.

The introduction of substitutes Mitchell, Olosunde and Kehinde freshened United up and they had most of the possession in what remained of the match.  However, a well-organised Everton defence kept the Reds at bay and only Harrop's header late on, which was cleared off the line, came close to kick-starting what would admittedly have been an unlikely United comeback.

United v Leicester reaction: Daley Blind's importance to United can't be overlooked

I don't remember the last time I saw United score from three corners in a game.  Nor do I recall the last time I saw a better series of corners than those taken by Daley Blind in United's 4-1 demolition of Leicester.

Although the away side's defending was admittedly woeful, Blind exploited this perfectly with two excellent crosses from which Smalling and Pogba would have found it difficult not to score.  Sandwiched between them was the imaginative short ball to pick out Mata's run and provide Rashford with the kind of opportunity he just doesn't pass up.

But the rest of Blind's game deserves praise too.  Having lost his place in central defence to the returning Smalling, Shaw's injury gave Blind the chance to operate at left-back, a position he filled with some distinction during the brief period of hope that was the spring of 2015.

He proved a more than worthy replacement, helping to neutralise the considerable threat down Leicester's right side early in the game and getting forward at every opportunity to link with Rashford, another player who shows every sign of grabbing the opportunity of a new position with both hands.

Prior to Mourinho's arrival, Blind was near the top of many people's lists of being under threat.  Having played in central defence throughout 2015-16, it was widely predicted that Blind did not have the physical attributes to appeal to the new boss in that position.  Not only that, but Mourinho's stated preference for 'specialists' cast a serious doubt over whether this most adaptable of utility players would still have a place at United

Smalling's injury gave Blind the chance to prove his worth and he certainly did so, forming an impressive partnership with Eric Bailly in those early games.  But being adaptable does have its drawbacks.  Can he mount a long-term challenge to Luke Shaw for the left-back berth?  Given the number of central midfielders at the club now, can he ever hope to return to that role in the future?

Daley Blind's ability to perform in so many different positions may be what prevents him from ever holding down a regular place in one of them.  After his performance yesterday, though, it's an issue to which Mourinho needs to give some thought, because his positional sense, intelligence and movement off the ball yesterday were crucial factors in the Reds' convincing victory.  And with the increased height in United's side this season, having someone who can take a decent corner isn't to be sniffed at either.

United 4 Leicester 1

There will be those who, of course, simplify this result under a headline of

'Rooney dropped - United win', but it was much more satisfying than that.  Although some poor Leicester defending contributed to their defeat, for half an hour in the first half United imposed their game on their opponents in a manner we've not seen for far too long and ran out comfortable winners.

In truth, it had looked a fairly even contest at first.  United clearly carried much greater menace up front, but Leicester's pace was a threat and they enjoyed a decent share of the play.  All that changed in the 22nd minute when Blind's corner was met by the head of Smalling at the far post and United took the lead.

It was debatable which aspect of the goal was most reassuring - the delivery from Blind or the United players queuing to get on the end of it.  It put United in control anyway and, in a blistering five minutes later in the half, they put the game beyond the champions.

Although the visitors' defensive organisation was poor, the way United probed and exploited the spaces they left was impressive.  Mata found himself in acres of space in the area to add a second, while two further Blind corners produced two more goals.  The first was a clever short ball into the box for Mata, whose ball across the goal was prodded home by Rashford while the second found Pogba, whose header brought his first United goal and the fourth of the afternoon.

Understandably, United took their foot off the gas in the second half and, although Leicester pulled one back through a brilliant strike from Gray, the Reds ultimately coasted to a deserved win, avoiding the prospect of a third successive league defeat and producing some inspired football at times.  The game settled, there was even the opportunity to introduce Rooney from the bench late in the second half to warm applause from the crowd.  What a difference a win makes.