Two games, six points, eight goals scored, none conceded. Manchester United's performance against Swansea City perhaps did not quite match the 4-0 score line, but Jose Mourinho's side has started the season in clinical style. In two games, they have now reached 15 percent of their goals tally from last term.


Goals from Eric Bailly, Romelu Lukaku, a fabulous Paul Pogba dink and a swept finish by substitute Anthony Martial did the job in Wales.

United had most of the possession in the first half but had trouble breaking down a Swansea side who were nominally playing 3-5-2, but in practice had five defenders with debutant Roque Mesa sitting in front of them.

Marcus Rashford was the most prominent figure in the first half. The young forward wasn't a popular figure at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea's fans more or less constantly booing him for diving to win a penalty against them last season. All to be expected, but Rashford seemed to take this as a personal challenge, looking desperate to score in order to prove a point, shooting from every angle possible regardless of his other options. Constant complaints about perceived fouls and miscellaneous other slights were unlikely to thaw relations.

Pogba was also lucky to escape a red card, having already been booked a few minutes earlier, the French midfielder fouled Martin Olsson as the Swansea wing-back was clearing the ball.


It wasn't a terrible or dangerous foul, but the sort of challenge that probably would have resulted in a yellow card if the player hadn't already been booked. This time a stern lecture was deemed sufficient.

Just before the break, United took the lead. Pogba was left unmarked from a Daley Blind cross, his header was brilliantly tipped on to the bar then the goalline by Lukasz Fabianski, but the goalkeeper couldn't recover in time to prevent Bailly from stabbing his first United goal home.


It wasn't Fabianski's fault, though: Federico Fernandez allowed the Ivorian to muscle his way in front of him, and not only that but he appeared to be telling at his keeper to claim the ball himself. A tough ask, considering Fabianski was on the floor having just made that outstanding save.

After the break, United was not quite so dominant, and Swansea had the best chance of the early stages when Tammy Abraham put a free header over the bar. Both teams changed shape, but the majority of the half was frustrating for both, broadly limited to long-range efforts in search of a goal.

But United wrapped up the points with three quick goals with around ten minutes remaining. First, Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan fashioned a chance for Lukaku, who with time and space in the box had a relatively simple chance which he slotted home with little fuss.

Then Mkhitaryan set up another, sliding a perfect pass down the right channel for Pogba to dink a wonderful, delicate finish over Fabianski. It was four a couple of minutes later, when a Lukaku lay-off set Pogba free, he fed substitute Martial who slid home with limited resistance from a Swansea defence who looked like they knew the game was up.