Manchester United 2-0 Huddersfield: Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez on target
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Alexis Sanchez opened his Manchester United account as his side edged out Huddersfield.
Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring after the break as United looked to bounce back from their defeat by Tottenham in midweek.
United were then awarded a penalty and although Sanchez saw his effort saved, he was on hand to fire home the rebound.
With Manchester City dropping two points at Burnley earlier in the day, United narrowed the gap at the top of the Premier League to 13 points.
Here are five talking points from Old Trafford...
(Image: Alex Morton)
1. Ref Stuart Atwell got key decision wrong
Referees have been under the spotlight this week with the glut of brutal challenges on Manchester City players that have seen all the perpetrators escape a red card. Ref Stuart Atwell was at the centre of controversy here after 20 minutes, failing to award a penalty after Terence Kongolo flattened Scott McTominay in the Huddersfield area. McTominay won the ball in the air but was left sprawled on the turf after being poleaxed by Kongolo. Refs have a tough job, but that was as blatant a penalty and yellow card as you could possibly see and Atwell made the wrong call.
(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)
2. Sanchez shines for United
It took him a while to get going, but once he did, Alexis Sanchez showed just why United were willing to pay him such an astronomical wage to steal him from under the noses of Manchester City.
A goalbound shot after cutting inside was palmed away by Jonas Lossl, while Sanchez turned provider moments later, threading a sublime ball in behind the Huddersfield defence to Juan Mata, only for the opening to ultimately come to nothing. In a game when most of United's creative players were found wanting, Sanchez tried to make things happen, and had the courage to get up and on the ball time and again, despite some brutal treatment from the visitors.
He duly got his first United goal, converting the rebound after his initial penalty effort had been saved, and United were indebted to the Chile star's spark to carry them to a much-needed win, which consolidated second place in the battle for a top-four spot.
(Image: John Peters)
3. Rashford on the bench again
Marcus Rashford has spent much of this season job-sharing with Anthony Martial on the leftside of United's attack. When one starts, the other has usually come on for the other, but here, with Martial dropping to the bench after the midweek defeat away to Tottenham, Rashord was also named among the subs.
Another berth on the bench means Rashford has started just one of United's last eight Premier League games, a worrying trend for one of England's brightest attackers in a World Cup year.
Mourinho sought to assure Rashford he remained a key part of his plans going forward, despite the arrival of Alexis Sanchez, but actions speak louder than words and the 20-year-old forward is facing the first real test of his burgeoning career.
(Image: Matthew Peters)
4. Pogba dropped after no-show against Spurs
He may be United's club record signing at £89million, but that does not make Paul Pogba immune from being dropped, the midfielder being relegated to the bench following his hopeless performance in the midweek loss away to Spurs. It was a reminder to Pogba that he has to earn his place on merit, rather than reputation, status or price tag, and an assertion of his authority from Mourinho.
Pogba did eventually come on, in the 65 minute for Jesse Lingard, and looked far more comfortable in a more advanced role, not having any defensive duties as part of a deeper-lying midfield duo, as he did at Wembley, with Nemanja Matic and McTominay taking care of those responsibilities here.
(Image: Alex Morton)
5. Huddersfield sinking closer to danger
After such a promising start to life in the Premier League, Huddersfield are sliding deeper into trouble and are now embroiled in an ugly battle to preserve their top-flight status after just one season. Their last Premier League win came back on December 16, while they have taken four points from a possible 24, with David Wagner and his players seemingly unable to halt their slide down the table, with this defeat seeing them drop two places to 19.
With three of their final games of the season coming against Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal, the Terriers can ill-afford to be be needing to take something from those fixtures to survive, which is why they need points on the board soon to halt their seemingly inevitable drop back into the Championship.