Manchester United made it four Premier League wins in a row with a nervy 2-1 victory over Luton Town at Kenilworth Road thanks to two first-half goals from Rasmus Hojlund.
Here are five talking points from the game…
Man Utd again struggle to stay in control
Embed from Getty ImagesAnother game in which Manchester United went ahead but let the opposition back into the game too easily. It was a similar theme to United’s 2-1 victory over Aston Villa last weekend, after which boss Erik ten Hag expressed his disappointment with how his side lost their focus after finding the lead. “The first 20 minutes, for me, were very good and then when we were winning the game, we gave away the initiative,” he said afterward the win over Villa. “We gave them too much which, for me, was unnecessary and finally we got punished by our mentality.”
After such a blistering start in which United found themselves two goals ahead inside ten minutes, this should have been a straightforward victory for a far superior team in terms of talent. But they left themselves too open on the break for Carlton Morris to score, which in turn gave Luton the belief that they could get something from the game. United spurned a couple of great opportunities to make it more comfortable in the second half but Luton were the better side for much of the game.
Casemiro not the player he was
Embed from Getty ImagesPart of the problem was United’s inability to control the game in midfield. Few would have expected Luton to have the majority of the possession but the home side enjoyed 59% of the ball, despite ranking 18th for the amount of ball possession in the Premier League this season going into the game. Against this pacey, agile and hard-working Luton Town team, Casemiro particularly struggled and was hooked off at half-time having already been booked and been lucky to get away without another for a foul. He can still do a decent job in holding midfield but lacks the energy and dynamism needed for United, unlike this next man…
Barkey for England?
Embed from Getty ImagesRoss Barkley put in another fine performance for Luton and deserves to be considered of having a legitimate chance of going to the Euros with England in the summer. Kalvin Phillips has failed to impress at West Ham since signing on loan and Jordan Henderson has spent half of the season playing in a league not at the required level of competitiveness for an international player, so on that basis Barkley at least deserves serious consideration. His technical quality in the middle of the park would be a fantastic option for England boss Gareth Southgate to have, particularly if they are struggling to break down teams.
Hojlund looks like a seasoned striker
Embed from Getty ImagesRasmus Hojlund did not score in his first 14 Premier League games but since netting against Aston Villa on Boxing Day, has got on the scoresheet in every single Premier game he’s been involved in. His quick-fire double inside the first ten minutes set United on the path to victory, calmly rounding Thomas Kaminski to open the scoring just after kick-off before diverting Alejandro Garnacho’s powerful strike into the bottom corner on seven minutes. The 21-year-old might have taken a while to find his feet but this clinical display was befitting of someone well beyond his years and ultimately earned his side victory.
Never say die attitude could be the difference for Luton
Embed from Getty ImagesIt looked as though it could be a long afternoon for Luton after going two goals down inside ten minutes, but their response was fantastic. They did not let their heads drop and after getting a goal back through Morris before half-time, put United under significant pressure, while some fantastic last ditch defending, including Albert Sambi Lokonga’S flying block to prevent Bruno Fernandes from finishing into an empty net, kept them in with a chance of getting a point. They might lack quality but their togetherness and belief could well be the difference between going down and staying up.
