Match report: United 2-0 Chelsea

United put the champions-elect to the sword in style with our best performance of the season to reignite our hopes of a top four finish.

Goals from Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera secured a thoroughly deserved win as we ended a winless 12-game run against the west London side.

Jose Mourinho rested Zlatan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan but got one over on his former side at the third time of asking - after two defeats to them so far this season -  with a magnificent tactical masterclass.

This was United's best showing of the season by some distance with Antonio Conte's side harried into submission as the visitors failed to register a shot on target all afternoon. 

The result cut Chelsea's lead at the top to four points following Spurs win over Bournemouth but, more importantly, lifted United back to fifth - four points behind City (with two games in hand).

Marcus Rashford set the tone for what was to follow in the fifth minute when he outpaced David Luiz and pulled his effort narrowly wide. 

Two minutes later, the young striker got his side off to the perfect start with a brilliantly-taken finish.
Despite his handball in the build up, Ander Herrera - magnificent throughout - picked out Rashford with a pinpoint pass and he ran through to slot in beyond stand in stopper Asmir Begovic. 

Begovic thwarted Jesse Lingard with a good low save, Ashley Young fizzed a shot wide and Gary Cahill's misdirected header almost flew into his own net.

It got better for the Reds four minutes after the restart after good work from captain for the day Young.

He drove into the box after his initial cross was cleared by Luiz before he cut the ball back for Herrera.
The Spaniard capped an immense individual performance with a deserved goal when his effort deflected off Zouma and wrongfooted Begovic to extend our lead.

Lingard went close from distance, Rashford fired into the side netting and then tested Begovic with a 20-yarder that the keeper did well to save. 

Chances were at a premium at either end from then on with David de Gea, on his return to the team, largely untroubled.

Conte's side had only lost four league games all season but were unable to respond as the Reds saw out a first win against the Stamford Bridge since 2012. 

Overall team performance: 9.5/10
United Faithful Man of the Match: Ander Herrera. Man marked Eden Hazard out of the game and typified the team's performance. Magnificent and simply immense. 

Match preview: United v Chelsea

Jose Mourinho faces his old club for the third time this season with the west London side five wins away from the title.

Antonio Conte has overseen a mightily impressive transformation of the champions-elect since he took charge in the summer, but United have a score to settle with the in-form visitors, who have beaten us twice already this term.

Following the 4-0 horror show in the league in October, United were left with a sense of injustice as Chelsea sealed an FA Cup semi final spot with a controversial 1-0 over us last month.

N'golo Kante's brilliant strike settled a stormy contest that saw Ander Herrera harshly sent off to end the Reds hopes. 

That continued the Blues hoodoo over us-  we've now not beaten them for 13 matches, a run stretching back to  October 2012 when Fergie was in charge (a 3-2 win at The Bridge against nine men). 

This fixture comes at a bad time for United with injuries mounting up and sandwiched between the two legs of our Europa League quarter final with Anderlecht.

That tie is delicately poised at 1-1 with the second leg to come on Thursday, with this our fifth outing in 15 days. 

Chelsea have no such issues - without the rigours of European football they are fresher than us and have a fully fit squad at their disposal ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. 

The remarkable record of no major injury problems has undoubtedly played a part in their seemingly unstoppable march to the title, with Conte able to rely on the same core of players week in week out. 

David de Gea is expected to start having missed the last two matches but Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Juan Mata are all out for the season.
Wayne Rooney could feature and Ashley Young is also available again.

United boss Jose played down the sentimental aspect of the clash, and said:

"For me it is just another opponent and another game.
"It is not emotional for me, it is a game and I prefer to focus on my team and what we need to do to win. 
"It's not for no reason that they are top of the league, it is not just because they are fresh and have no injuries.
"It is because they have individual quality and collective quality and a certain style of play.
"They stick to it, and do it very well so they are a very good side, a strong team."

Form guide: United W W D D W D Chelsea W W W W W W 
Match odds: United 9/5 Draw 9/3 Chelsea 10/4 
Referee: Bobby Madley (Yorkshire)

United in the quarter final driving seat despite late setback

United again showed a lack of killer instinct in Belgium but remain in control of the quarter-final tie.

A draw away at the leaders of the Belgian top flight, who hung in doggedly to snatch an 87th-minute equaliser, is no bad result.

The first leg draw - our 10th 1-1 of the season - only served to emphasise the mood that for all our quality, might and strength in depth, we remain a frustratingly underwhelming side at times.

Thanks to Henrikh Mkhitaryan's away goal, United are favourites to progress and should have enough to finish the job back at Old Trafford next week.

However, we'll need to avoid similar mistakes such as the one that allowed Leander Dendoncker to steal in and score.
With dangerous opponents elsewhere in the draw, notably Lyon, Ajax and Schalke, similar lapses could easily throw our European ambitions off course. 

The Reds have one foot in the semi finals after a display that yielded plenty of purpose and promise but again we paid the price for wastefulness.

At Old Trafford, we should be too strong for the Belgian side although with this side it is hard to take too much for granted.
The more we let reprieved opponents off the hook, the more likely that, eventually, we'll pay a greater price for doing so. 

From our 52 fixtures in a busy season so far, 14 of them have been draws.

It's not hard to see where United's shortcomings lie - we fail to kill teams off, don't score enough goals and are getting punished for profligacy. 

United's long and protracted Europa League journey has taken in other disappointing evenings away to Feyenoord, Fenerbahce and Rostov.
Jose's frustration in Brussels will be centred not on a poor performance, but one of missed opportunities and a late defensive lapse - as we've seen so often before this season. 

It's becoming a broken record now and Jose is not the only one wondering when - and how -  this team will find the ruthless edge that will make everyone's life a lot easier. 

United are four wins away from securing the only major trophy we've never won and the silverware that launched Jose's career 14 years ago when at Porto. 

Despite having since won the Champions League twice, the boss has maintained throughout our run in Europe that he considers the Europa League to be a pot worth winning. 

We're by far the biggest club left in the competition and, having committed so much to winning it, not going all the way to the Stockholm final in May now seems almost unforgivable.

Match report: Anderlecht 1-1 United

United were again made to rue missed chances as a late Leander Dendoncker header cancelled out Henrikh Mkhitaryan's potentially pivotal away goal.

Dendoncker capitalised on a defensive lapse to get in front of Matteo Darmian and power home a header four minutes from time.

Until then, the visitors had dominated almost entirely and deservedly led when Mkhitaryan slotted  in on the angle after Marcus Rashford's shot was spilled.

The Armenian fired wide after the interval and Paul Pogba - otherwise hugely impressive - was denied by goalkeeper Ruben when clean through.

The hosts started brightly and went close inside the first ten minutes when Massimo Bruno - who had earlier fired just wide - had a shot blocked by the lunging Eric Bailly.

United came within inches of the breakthrough on 18 minutes.

Man of the match Rashford nonchalantly pulled down a pass and fizzed the ball in towards Zlatan.

The Swede's stabbed shot ricocheted off Ruben and fell for Jesse Lingard, who in turn could only fire against the post.

Rashford proved a thorn in the Anderlecht side throughout and went close himself moments later when his 20 yarder flashed narrowly wide.

Mkhitaryan had an effort blocked and Lingard was crowded out, but the team got the lead their attacking play deserved on 36 minutes.

A neat move that involved Ibrahimovic saw the ball moved wide to Antonio Valencia, who picked out the onrushing Rashford.
His strike was pushed away, but Mkhitaryan raced on to the loose ball to fire into the roof of the net from a tight angle - his fourth European away goal in as many games. 

Anderlecht started the second half strongly and went close twice in quick succession.

Nicolae Stanciu fired narrowly over the bar from a free-kick, and Bruno's snapshot was hacked away by Valencia and the rebound was cleared.

Having weathered the mini-storm, the Reds went in search of the potentially tie-sealing second goal.

Substitute Anthony Martial was denied by Ruben and Pogba then found himself through on goal, only to be thwarted by a smart save from the keeper.

Sofiane Hanni twice went close with a deflected effort and a shot from distance, but, not for the first time, the Reds were again made to pay for their missed chances.

Dendoncker's bullet header pegged United back to leave the tie in the balance ahead of next week's return leg.
The Reds remain favourites to progress to the semi finals thanks to the away goal, but the tie is beautifully posed at the halfway stage. 

Overall team performance: 7.5/10
United Faithful Man of the Match: Marcus Rashford 

Opposition profile: RSC Anderlecht

United make the trip to Brussels to face RSC Anderlecht in the Europa League quarter-final on Thursday. 

But who are the Belgian side and what can the Reds expect from them? United Faithful has the opposition lowdown...

Founded in 1908, Anderlecht play their home matches in the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium in Brussels (capacity 21,845). 
The club are in the process of switching to a new home and look set to move to the 60,000 capacity Eurostadium, which will be the Belgium national side's new stadium and a Euro 2020 venue.

Anderlecht, or the "Purple and Whites" (the colour of their kit) are the most successful side in the country's history with 33 Belgian top-flight titles and five European trophies, more than any other team (sound familiar?)....

Anderlecht's manager is Rene Weiler, who is in his first season at the helm having replaced Albanian boss Besnik Hasi last summer. 
The 43-year-old arrived from FC Nurnberg in Germany and was once capped by Switzerland after he established himself in his homeland with Schaffhausen and then Aarau. 

Much like United, Anderlect have earned a reputation for championing local homegrown young players.
Their current squad is no different, with seven of their first team having risen through the club's youth system.

Considered one of the brightest young prospects in world football, 19-year-old Belgian playmaker Youri Tielemans seems destined for the top, with a number of big European clubs reportedly tracking his progress.

An intelligent all-around midfielder with a superb passing range and an eye for goal, he's already been capped by the Belgium senior team and has been voted Belgian Young Player of the Year for the past two seasons.

Captain Sofiane Hanni is their creative string-puller in chief, and highly rated Romanian Nicolae Stanciu is another player the Reds must watch out for. 

He became the most expensive signing by a Belgian club when joining from Steaua Bucharest in the summer. 

Anderlecht were, of course, our first ever opponents in European competition in 1956.
United won the first game 2-0 in Belgium before Matt Busby's rampant Reds racked up an astonishing 10-0 win at Maine Road - a margin which remains United's biggest competitive victory. 

Anderlecht have a chequered recent history in Europe, but enjoy many successes during the most successful period in their history.
During a memorable decade from 1974 - 1984, the club won two European Cup Winners Cup (74 and 76), two European Super Cups in the same years and a UEFA Cup win in 1982-83. 

This tie with United marks their first quarter-final since 1996-97 when they were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by eventual winners Inter Milan (an omen, perhaps...)

Match preview: Anderlecht v United

United return to European action as the Reds travel to the Belgian capital to take on Anderlecht in the Europa League quarter-final.

The first leg of this last eight clash at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium represents a first meeting between the sides for 17 years and could prove crucial ahead of next week's Old Trafford return. 

After a second placed league finish last term, Rene Weiler's side missed out on Champions League qualification at the expense of our last 16 opponents FC Rostov. 
Having dropped into the Europa League, the Belgian side finished runners up in their group, behind Saint-Etienne (who we beat in the last 32). 

They impressively got past Zenit Saint Petersburg in the first knockout round on away goals before a 2-0 aggregate win over Cypriot side APOEL Nicosia set up this quarter-final. 

Wayne Rooney has not travelled despite training with the rest of the squad on Wednesday. 

Antonio Valencia has not featured in the Reds last two matches but is expected to return here.
Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Juan Mata are all sidelined with long term injuries whilst Ander Herrera and Eric Bailly are one booking away from a European ban. 

David de Gea has recovered from his "minor" hip problem but Sergio Romero could keep his place after a ninth clean sheet of the season at Sunderland. 

Anderlecht's top scorer Lukasz Teodorcyzk is doubtful with the 25-goal striker struggling with a shoulder problem. 

United boss Jose is looking to be in a strong position ahead of next week's second leg, and said: "Anderlecht are a good team, they play well, press well and have many talented players so it will be difficult.
"We have that second leg as a protection, but we need to put ourselves in a good position.
"If we don't play well we are in a difficult situation, when a team arrives at this stage of a competition, everyone feels they can win it.
"The motivation is high and we are going to give everything, both in the league and in Europe." 

United head into the match on the back of a 21-match unbeaten domestic run, whilst Anderlecht hold a two-point lead at the top of the Belgian league. 

The other three quarter-final ties take place tonight, as Ajax host Schalke, Genk travel to Celta Vigo and tournament favourites Lyon face Besiktas.

Form guide: Anderlecht D W W W W D United L W W D D W 
Match odds: 20/4 Draw 12/5 United 11/3 
Referee: Felix Brych (Germany)

Match report: Sunderland 0-3 United

United moved up to fifth in the Premier League with a comfortable victory over struggling 10-man Sunderland on Wearside.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcus Rashford put the Black Cats to the sword, and Seb Larsson was sent off late in the first half to compound their woes. 

David Moyes men have now failed to score in their last seven outings and never looked like ending that torrid run here, with the Reds in control throughout.

They remain rooted to the foot of the table and their relegation to the Championship, after nine successive Premier League seasons, now seems only a matter of time. 

The win stretched United’s unbeaten league run to a 21st match and provided a much needed win after frustrating back-to-back home draws.

United started brightly and went close early on with Jesse Lingard - who signed a lucrative new contract in midweek - kept out by a fine save from Jordan Pickford.

Sergio Romero started a league game for the first time this season with David de Gea ruled out with a “minor problem”.

Sunderland began to impose themselves on the contest and the stand-in stopper was soon called into action.

He saved well to keep out the returning Lee Cattermole before Jermain Defoe fired wide from an offside position after Jack Rodwell had played him in. 

Lingard had another effort tipped wide by Pickford, but the breakthrough was not long in coming and arrived in style on the half hour mark.

Ibrahimovic collected an Ander Herrera pass, rolled Billy Jones, cut inside and smashed in his 28th goal of the season from 20 yards.

United were then indebted to a fine stop from Romero as the Argentine keeper made a fine block to deny the onrushing Victor Anichebe from close range.

Sunderland’s afternoon went from bad to worse when Larsson was harshly dismissed two minutes before the break.

His challenge on Herrera was late but not reckless or malicious, and a yellow card probably would have sufficed but referee Craig Pawson brandished a red.

The match-clinching second goal arrived within 46 seconds of the restart when Mkhitaryan burst into the box and fired in an exquisite finish beyond the advancing Pickford.

The keeper saved well from Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba went close from distance. 

Defoe was denied by Romero from a free-kick and then fired another wide, before United rubber-stamped the result with the third a minute from time.

Substitute Marcus Rashford rounded off a sweeping team move with a close-range finish, a much needed goal for the striker and his first  in the league since September. 

Overall team performance: 7/10
United Faithful Man of the Match: Zlatan Ibrahimovic