The young striker got the late winner to ensure Jose Mourinho's men got the three points they thoroughly deserved at the KCOM Stadium
As Manchester United toiled for long periods at the KCOM Stadium against Hull City, there were some amongst the crowd asking how this was different from Louis van Gaal’s side. In injury time, they got their answer.
Marcus Rashford’s 92nd-minute winner secured a one-sided 1-0 win to keep United’s 100 per cent run under Jose Mourinho going. Whereas last term Van Gaal’s troops often continued to over-pass without actually causing much trouble, Mourinho's side simply kept banging at the door until Hull eventually let them in amid a proper downpour in East Yorkshire.
After two rather comfortable and competent victories over Bournemouth and Southampton recalled memories of United sides of years gone by, this was another reminder of what Manchester United used to be about. The jokes about Fergie Time often came as a result of Sir Alex Ferguson’s teams exhausting opponents into submission. There was a bit of that about this game as the Reds eventually got their rewards, having dominated throughout.
They could easily have scored five. Juan Mata got in behind to tee up Wayne Rooney late in the first half, but while the England front man beat Eldin Jakupovic, his effort was blocked on the line by Curtis Davies. Then Zlatan Ibrahimovic stuck out a toe to beat Jakupovic to Rooney’s pass, but couldn’t improvise a shot on target as his back-heel from a tight angle found the side-netting.
After the break there was a chance for Mata when he took the ball from Ibrahimovic on a charge into the area, but he couldn’t control at a vital moment. Rooney later drove wide, while Paul Pogba and Ibrahimovic also came close from range.
But a deflected Tom Huddlestone shot at the other end which wrong-footed David de Gea was a reminder that, far from being a one-sided demonstration, this was a potential slip-up in the making.
United kept coming at the home side, but on the increasingly-greasy surface it appeared that they were always seeking an extra touch. Substitutes Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Rashford both squandered chances to test Jakupovic by looking for a settler before firing at Hull defenders.
By the time Pogba slid just wide in the 88th minute, it appeared their incessant pressure would end up unrewarded. Their best chance had come when Rashford drew two defenders before sending a low shot to the far post which Jakupovic pushed wide.
But Rashford, who had been bright from the moment he replaced Mata 20 minutes from time, made a typical striker’s run to make the most of Rooney’s fantastic charge along the bye-line. When the skipper sent in a great low cross, the 18-year-old simply had to blast into an empty net.
There will be more afternoons like this, with weaker home sides seeking to frustrate United. But you get the feeling they’ll be less successful than was the case last term.
On the weekend he was overlooked by Sam Allardyce for the England senior squad, Rashford bailed out United. And just when some were starting to question whether United are really that different an animal under Mourinho, they proved they most certainly are.
