The most pointed cheer on a sodden Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford came as Marcus Rashford left the pitch after 83 minutes of this 2-0 victory, that familiar, loping trot to the sidelines drawing a great barrelling wave of electricity around the home stands.
On days like these the solution to United’s ongoing stodginess can look fairly straightforward. Never mind the shadow of a passing era, the corporate emptiness at the top, the sense at times of a grand, ailing steamship burning its motors trying to right itself. For an hour United not only stretched the league leaders out of shape, but also looked a vibrant, snappy, belligerent team thanks to a combination of midfield muscle, the craft (and left hand) of Ander Herrera and above all genuine speed and movement in attack.
Related: Marcus Rashford and Manchester United sink Chelsea to reignite title race
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