Manchester United eventually moved through the gears to dispatch Yeovil Town 4-0 in an FA Cup fifth round clash away from home.
Alexis Sanchez made his debut for the Reds and was their most creative player, having a hand in his side’s first two goals.
Marcus Rashford opened the scoring before the Chilean set up Ander Herrera for the second. Second half substitutes Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku got on the score sheet as well.
Here’s what we learned from the encounter.
MORE TO COME FROM POSITIVE SANCHEZ
After his high-profile transfer, donning United’s famous No7 shirt and with all eyes firmly fixed on his every involvement in the game, it wasn’t exactly a dream debut for Sanchez.
The Chilean, it must be said, was guilty of giving the ball away far too often. However, much of that was down to the fact that he was United’s most positive player and their greatest threat on a horrendous pitch.
Sanchez rarely opted for the easy way, choosing the difficult pass time after time in his relentless efforts to unlock a stubborn Yeovil defence.
The fact that he managed six key passes on the night including an assist for the second goal speaks volumes. Remove him from the equation and it could’ve been a frustrating night for United with the likes of Michael Carrick, Juan Mata, Scott McTominay and Rashford registering just one key pass each.
He was involved in the opener as well and produced some moments of real class. As he gets accustomed to his new team-mates, he’ll only get better.
Alexis Sanchez (L)
DARMIAN NOT FIT FOR UNITED
With his every performance in a red shirt it becomes more and more apparent that Matteo Darmian is well out of his depth as a United player.
It’s disappointing for a defender who began life in Manchester well but the honeymoon period was all too short-lived. A trip away to Crystal Palace two years ago saw Wilfried Zaha expose his vulnerability to a bit of pace, trickery and strength.
The Italian has never recovered after that confidence shattering display when he was taken off in the first half itself.
In the outing against Yeovil as well, a League Two outfit, Darmian never looked comfortable.
His passing was weak and panicked under pressure. All in all, it was an uninspiring display. Darmian looks well short of competing with the likes of Antonio Valencia or Ashley Young for that right-back slot.
It doesn’t look as if there’s a path back into the first team for him and a move away from United could be on the cards.
I'm starting to think Matteo Darmian isn't a professional footballer. Amazes me every time I watch him.
— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) January 26, 2018
RASHFORD A MIXED BAG AS THE MAIN STRIKER
Rashford was his usual relentless self and it’s that doggedness that saw him steal in to score the opening goal, capitalising on a mix-up between Tom James and the keeper.
He ran the channels well but looked at his best whenever he found a bit of space or drifted wide rather than with his back to goal.
As such, United lacked a focal point in attack. Despite Romelu Lukaku’s patchy form in front of goal, his presence makes the system work.
Rashford is yet to hone his skills as a lone striker and it showed. There were plenty of positives to take away from his performance but Jose Mourinho’s reliance on Lukaku was shown again as he introduced the Belgian in the 64th minute who went on to score the fourth goal.
Marcus Rashford (2R)
