Five talking points from Manchester United's 2-0 win against Huddersfield

Manchester United bounced back after a very disappointing performance against Tottenham in midweek to claim the three points in Alexis Sanchez’s home debut at Old Trafford.

José Mourinho will be pleased with his men who battled hard against a Huddersfield team who sat back in numbers and waited to counter attack. It was a comfortable day for David De Gea, who will be pleased to have seen his team come out unscathed.

Here are five things from Manchester United’s 2-0 win:

Alexis Sánchez shows what is to come

Manchester United fans have a right to be enormously excited by Sánchez’s arrival, and he has so far lived up to those expectations.

While he did not have the best performance against Tottenham, it would have been harsh to have singled him out in a team in which he has only just joined. Against Yeovil, he picked up the Man of the Match award, as well as against Huddersfield Town.

AS IT HAPPENED: Man Utd v Huddersfield

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His home debut at Old Trafford was one to remember as he found the back of the net to claim Manchester United the three points. It was a classy performance by the Chilean and one in which seemed effortless for him.

Rival fans will always be incredibly quick to try and knock a player down, especially when they used to play for your club, but there can be no fault for the way Sánchez played against Huddersfield. The former Arsenal forward linked up impressively well with Jesse Lingard as they played one-twos to try to break down the Terriers’ defence.

Sánchez might lose possession on a more frequent basis than other players, but Manchester United need more players willing to take risks. Sometimes they are going to pay off, other times not, but the Red Devils need a player with that mentality to thrive.

Paul Pogba is not bigger than Manchester United

Mourinho made a very public statement before the game in dropping both Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba from the starting XI.

Both French national team players featured against Tottenham in what was a night to forget, and the Portuguese boss made it abundantly clear that no player is bigger than the team and, as a player, you would have to fight for your position.

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Instead, Scott McTominay and Juan Mata came in for the two absentees, and it was noticeable that United’s attack lacked the zip and vibrance that normally came with the two French players in the team.

Whether it was the right decision or not, Mourinho made the point that Pogba, especially, is not too big a name to drop to the sidelines. It was, perhaps, a harsh decision to pinpoint the blame on him, but it will give Pogba the motivation to go on and dominate those bigger matches.

The standard of Premier League refereeing is abysmal

Manchester United should have been awarded a penalty after Scott McTominay was dangerously barged into and completely taken out by Terence Kongolo inside the are.

The challenge was horrific and could have seriously damaged the Scot midfielder as he was left upended in the air with no support. McTominay was checked by Manchester United’s medical team, and cleared to come back on the pitch, but it was embarrassing to not even see a yellow card given or any sort of punishment. It was as clear a penalty as you are going to see this season, and yet nothing was given.

As the game went on and the tempers rose, there were more cynical challenges being made by both sides. The referee, Stuart Attwell, had no control over the game and therefore chaos ensued.

The state of Premier League officiating is in disarray; a total and complete farce.

Manchester United struggle to break teams down

It took 54 minutes for the Red Devils to break down the barriers to Huddersfield’s goal, in what could have been a very frustrating day at the office.

Manchester United have struggled to convincingly break teams down since Mourinho took over, although it has become less frustrating than when he the former Real Madrid boss first came into the job.

With the signing of Sánchez, Man United should find it slightly easier to penetrate teams that do intent to sit deep inside their own half for the majority of the match, but it will take time for the Chilean to have a true understanding and relationship with his teammates.

Sánchez did show what he was capable of throughout this match, with some lovely little flicks and passes into dangerous areas, and so that is a huge positive for Man Untied fans to see.

Romelu Lukaku is too easily criticised

At times this season, it has bene far too easy to blame Manchester United’s centre forward when there are a lack of goals. That being Romelu Lukaku.

However, time and time again, the Belgian international puts in a shift and tries everything within his power to get into positions in which will be advantageous. In the game against Tottenham, he had no service throughout and could do very little to change the outcome of that match.

There is certainly work for Lukaku to do in order to become one of the best striker’s in the world, but it will not be for a lack of trying.

With his goal against Huddersfield, Lukaku has now scored 19 goals in 36 appearances this season and recorded six assists. The way his critics have been banging on about him you would have suspected he had not reached double digits yet for the campaign.