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    Premier League News: Manchester United 5-1 Leeds: Main talking points as the Red Devils go wild at Old Trafford

    By opening the 2021/22 Premier League campaign with one of England’s most heated rivalries, Manchester United truly managed to establish what was a clinical home scorer.

    Welcoming fans back to Old Trafford and backed by warm home support, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side scored a 5-1 win over Leeds on Saturday at lunchtime – a result that would have given them an all-powerful moral boost. .

    Putting on a wild show against their rivals and also officially announcing Raphael Varane’s arrival from Real Madrid earlier in the day, the former champions also saw some of their biggest stars steal the show.

    On an afternoon that saw Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba write their own individual history pieces, we took a look at the main talking points of Saturday’s debut.

    Fernandes and Pogba show their class

    Wrapping up last year’s campaign with that heartbreaking Europa League final defeat to Villereal in May, many across the Premier League wondered if Manchester United would still be dealing with a hangover.

    However, able to gift the arrival of summer and England ace Jadon Sancho for the final 15 minutes, it will be an afternoon Solskjaer has long remembered.

    Dominating from the kick-off and boosted by the fans’ return to Old Trafford, the hosts on Saturday opened the scoring with 30 minutes on the clock when Bruno Fernandes managed to squeeze one under a running Illan Meslier.

    Picking up where he left off last season after scoring 28 goals in all competitions during the 2020/21 campaign, the Portuguese United playmaker didn’t finish there as he made his way to the Man of the Match award.

    With a quick-fire brace after Leeds managed to equalize the score moments after half-time, Fernandes recorded his first Manchester United hat-trick and only emphasized his talisman status on the opening weekend.

    Similarly, while the former Sporting Lisbon star could have left Old Trafford with the ball, there is no doubt that the influential Paul Pogba deserved a lot of praise.

    While there may have been a number of speculations about his future over the summer, the World Cup winner put on a dominant show in the middle of the park as he racked up four assists on what was a wild afternoon for the Reds.

    A nightmare start for Leeds

    While there could be a real party atmosphere around Old Trafford on Saturday at lunchtime, it wouldn’t have been a surprise that Leeds were in a hurry to get back to Yorkshire.

    Marking their return to the Premier League last season with an action-packed show at Anfield, the Whites were blown away once again against their arch rivals on the opening weekend.

    Despite it finally being announced earlier in the week that iconic Marcelo Bielsa had extended his stay at Elland Road, the former Napoli manager saw his side put on a show that was once again fraught with problems. in the back.

    While they may have garnered a string of acclaim from fans and pundits last season, Saturday’s guests failed to deal a hard blow to the former Premier League champions, despite Luke Ayling’s stunning equalizer minutes after the restart.

    Failing to gain much momentum during summer preparations and suffering losses against the likes of Fleetwood and a 4-0 at the hands of Ajax, Bielsa’s decision to leave Kalvin Phillips on the bench also raised some eyebrows.

    Aside from watching Patrick Bamford fail to get any kind of foothold in the proceedings, Leeds was heavily overrun in the middle of the park by the likes of Pogba and Fernandes.

    Desperate to leave Saturday’s battery behind, Bielsa’s team will be delighted to return to their homeland next weekend when they host Everton at Elland Road.

    Manchester United leaves its mark

    Watching both Pogba and hat-trick hero Fernandes stage what was arguably their best performance as a duo, there is no doubt that Solskjaer would have been hugely excited by his team’s display across the field.

    Not stepping back after Ayling stunned the Old Trafford crowd moments after half-time, Mason Greenwood was another standout performer as he managed to open his account seconds after Leeds tied the score.

    Finishing well on Meslier and watching Fred finish the game with a home touch from within the six-yard area, United’s lunchtime Saturday performance was just the statement they wanted to make.

    Opening of the 2021/22 campaign at the price of 8/1 with Unibet to lift their first Premier League title since 2013, Solskjaer’s team will be the next time they make the trip to St. Mary’s in eight days.

    Match report:

    Manchester United: De Gea (7), Wan-Bissaka (7), Maguire (7), Lindelof (7), Shaw (7), Fred (7.5), McTominay (8), Pogba (9), Fernandes (10), James ( 6.5), Woodgreen (8),

    Subtitles: Sancho (7), Martial (6), Matic (6)

    London: Meslier (5), Ayling (7), Struijk (4.5), Cooper (4.5), Dallas (5), Harrison (4), Klich (4), Kock (4), Raphinha (4), Rodrigo (4.5), Bamford (3)

    Subtitles: Firpo (3), Roberts (4), Costa (3.5)

    Aims: Manchester United: Fernandes 30 ‘, 54, 60, Greenwood 52’, Fred 68 ‘- Leeds: Ayling 48’

    yellow cards: Manchester United: Shaw – Leeds: Raphinha, Cooper

    red cards: N / A

    Referee: Paul Tierney

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