Ole Gunnar Solskjaer joined Matt Busby in the Manchester United record books on Wednesday as his inspirational decision to bring on Romelu Lukaku as a substitute paid immediate dividends in a 2-0 victory against Newcastle.
The victory, secured after Lukaku scored with his first touch of the game in the 64th minute, clinched a fourth win in as many games for United’s interim manager.
And Solskjaer now joins United’s iconic former leader Busby as the only other manager in the club’s proud history to have started his career with four wins.
Lukaku pounced after Martin Dubravka had failed to hold onto Marcus Rashford’s ambitious 25-yard free-kick, the Newcastle keeper spilling the ball for the alert substitute to covert from close range.
The Belgian also had a role in United’s second, in the 80th minute, along with Alexis Sanchez, the former Arsenal striker who has been out for over a month and was brought on, along with Lukaku.
The two subs combined passes, as Newcastle pressed upfield in search of an equaliser, and Sanchez’s precise pass found Rashford in space, the young England striker having the poise to calmly roll the ball past Dubravka.
After a miserable first half to the season under Solskjaer’s predecessor Jose Mourinho, the win simply adds to the growing adoration being shown by United supporters towards their former player.
United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, widely criticised for his part in the club’s woes since the retirement of Alex Ferguson and their decline from the summit of the English game, had at least spotted the wisdom in his timing of Mourinho’s dismissal earlier this month.
It presented the interim manager with three eminently winnable games against Cardiff, Huddersfield and Bournemouth – victories which Solskjaer duly collected in some style.
But the visit to St James’s Park, at the end of a busy holiday period, was always going to be one that offered a far greater challenge to the “new-look” United and the opening half certainly served as a timely reminder of how much work Solskjaer still has to do if he is to elevate this season to anything above the instantly forgettable.
POGBA FACTOR
Paul Pogba, involved in seven goals in the three games since Solskjaer took over, again looked a different player away from the stifling micro management of Mourinho.
His early shot tested Dubravka in the home goal but while there was plenty of intent on United’s part there was little that truly concerned Rafa Benitez’s side.
Instead, it was the struggling hosts who enjoyed the better of that first half, reminding Solskjaer, in case he needed it, of just how frail his new side can be defensively.
Twice, in quick succession midway through the first half, Christian Atsu pounced on poor defending although without really testing David de Gea.
United defender Phil Jones also contributed to the general unease at the back, needlessly giving the ball away on the edge of his own area before making up for the error with a brilliant tackle on Salomon Rondon.
The second half saw United step up their attacking game, Rashford soon twisting in from the by-line and shooting across the face of the goal.
And, although there was another promising flurry of Newcastle pressure, and a penalty appeal after Victor Lindelof tangled with Atsu, Solskjaer’s double substitution proved pivotal.
Atsu, Newcastle’s most dangerous performer, shot just wide of the United goal from a half-cleared free-kick after 75 minutes but Rashford’s goal soon removed any lingering hope of a comeback.
And had Pogba not found the side-netting, instead of the goal, from a tight angle after rounding the keeper deep in injury-time, it might have been an even more emphatic victory.
Meanwhile, Chelsea wasted a chance to cement their place in the Premier League’s top four as a superb display from Southampton goalkeeper Angus Gunn gave his struggling side a 0-0 draw on Wednesday.
Maurizio Sarri’s team remain in fourth place, but they are now just three points ahead of fifth placed Arsenal in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
It was a frustrating evening for Chelsea, who dominated possession but lacked any cutting edge, maintaining a worrying sequence for Sarri.
His side failed to score for the third time in their last five Premier League games at Stamford Bridge, raising more questions about Chelsea’s need for a top-class striker in the January transfer window.
With Olivier Giroud sidelined after suffering an ankle injury in Sunday’s win at Crystal Palace, Sarri opted to recall misfiring striker Alvaro Morata.
Morata has played so badly this season that Sarri had used Belgian winger Eden Hazard in the central forward’s role recently rather than turn to the Spaniard, who had managed only seven goals this term and none in the league since November 4.
But, once again, former Real Madrid star Morata looked completely bereft of touch and confidence.
It was no surprise Morata wasted a golden opportunity to open the scoring when he met Cesar Azpilicueta’s long pass with a tame header straight at 22-year-old Gunn – the son of ex-Norwich stopper Bryan Gunn.
Southampton avoided a third consecutive defeat with a well-drilled performance, but they still dropped into the relegation zone.
Having announced the signing of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Christian Pulisic earlier in the day, Chelsea are planning ahead following a season of inconsistent displays from Willian and Pedro on the right flank.
United States international Pulisic will return to Dortmund on loan before completing his move to Chelsea in the close-season.
For the moment, Sarri continues to use Willian, but the Brazilian’s bid to prove his worth was ruined when he was forced off with an injury late in the first half.
MOUNTING FRUSTRATION
Hazard hinted several times that he preferred to play wide rather than up front during Sarri’s experiment with the Belgian as a ‘false nine’.
Looking more vibrant back in his favoured role, Hazard made a fine run that opened up the Southampton defence, yet his fierce drive was well saved by Gunn, making his Premier League debut after his close-season move from Manchester City.
But Hazard couldn’t do it all on his own and, while successive away wins at Watford and Palace made it a happy Christmas for Chelsea, their first home game of the new year was a lot like their last in 2018.
Despite dominating against Leicester, Sarri’s team were beaten 1-0 as they paid the price for lacking the incisive passing and movement needed to break down the visitors’ obdurate defence.
It was exactly the same story against Southampton.
The Blues monopolised the ball but Morata squandered another opportunity when Yan Valery blocked his shot.
Chelsea’s frustration grew at the start of the second half when Stuart Armstrong’s curling effort forced Kepa Arrizabalaga into action for the first time.
Although they controlled the game, chances were few and far between for Chelsea until Hazard burst down the left for a shot that Gunn beat away at his near post.
Morata’s luck was out when he slotted home from a Cesc Fabregas pass, only to see a tight offside decision deny him a goal.
And the hapless Spaniard endured more misery when his took Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s pass and shot straight at Gunn to groans from the crowd.
Capping a forgettable game for Chelsea, Marcos Alonso had a strong penalty appeal turned down in the closing moments.
