Manchester United 4-1 Fulham: 5 Talking Points & Tactical Analysis | Premier League 2018-19
Manchester United struck three goals in the first 45 minutes against Claudio Ranieri's Fulham to bag all three points and pile more misery on the West London side.
Goals from Ashley Young, Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford helped the cause. For the away side, Kamara got onto the score sheet.
United slowed the tempo in the second-half but nevertheless, sealed the three points rather comfortably. Fulham restored their rhythm back to a certain extent in the second period, but a red card to Andre Anguissa ended their minute hopes of a respectable show.
Manchester United seemed to be on the right track and as far as Mourinho and his coaching staff were concerned, there were a lot of smiles and high-fives around.
Here are the major talking points from Manchester United's comprehensive win over Fulham.
#1 Tactical tweak from Jose once again
At the moment, Jose Mourinho just can't seem to find the right combination of players. Rather, a settled combination. Unlike last week where he played three at the back, the Portuguese reverted back to a back four.
Diogo Dalot, who was tormented by Sead Kolasinac last time out, benefited heavily from the change in system.
More importantly, two traditional center-halves formed the heart of defence, while Nemanja Matic went back to his preferred central defensive midfielder role. Ander Herrera was allowed to play more freely further up the pitch.
Juan Mata was recalled and he played a 'free roam' sort of a role. His movement, reliability and guile helped the cause and led to a strong start. While Rashford took the left wing spot, Lingard played just behind the striker - Romelu Lukaku.
Manchester United's star man Paul Pogba was left to the bench alongside high-profile summer signing Fred. Not much could be critiqued at start, but the hosts were looking far more comfortable in their usual 4-2-3-1 shape.
Mourinho has already made as many as 50 changes to his side, clearly portraying the dissatisfaction and confusion. Many will argue this isn't Manchester United's best team on paper, but at the moment, it's in the boss' hands.