Manchester United’s Paul Pogba brought his World Cup form into the opening stages, producing a couple of excellent early passes before the opening goal.
A penalty was fairly awarded with Amartey’s arm high when he handled – although the video assistant referee was not an option to review the decision, with the Premier League the only one of Europe’s top five leagues not using the system this year. Pogba – with two stars shaved into his scalp to celebrate France’s second World Cup win – had a brief word with Alexis Sanchez before deciding to take the kick himself.
After an unusual staggered run-up, he scored, although his celebrations were muted. He has now scored in his last two games – his previous match being the World Cup final when he was on target in a 4-2 win over Croatia. By the time he was replaced by Fellaini in the latter stages, at 2-0 up and seemingly safe, he had touched the ball more times and played more passes than any of his team-mates.
He came off to handshakes from the bench after a good job well done. “I didn’t have any pre-season games, I came back on Monday so it was very hard for the legs,” said Pogba. “Winning the World Cup is in the past. I like challenges, I want to progress and win more trophies.”
Photo Credit: Getty
