Manchester United and the David Moyes era is off to a great start, thanks to Robin van Persie. Swansea played well for good chunks of the match, but was no match for the Dutchman in a 4-1 United victory.
Manchester United vs. Swansea City: Final score 4-1, Robin van Persie picks up where he left off
Robin van Persie is off to the races in his quest to win a third golden boot in the Premier League, while Danny Welbeck wasn’t half bad either.
The match started out evenly, though United had the better chances in the opening minutes. Phil Jones had the first good shot of the afternoon with a stinging volley in the 8th minute that required a save by Michel Vorm. Danny Welbeck looked a bit dangerous as well and forced Vorm into another, though less difficult, save in the 18th minute.
Swansea turned the tables on United shortly after that and spent the next 15 minutes in control of the match. Not long after Welbeck's shot, Wayne Routledge forced David De Gea to make a stop with a shot from the edge of the box. De Gea came up up big again four minutes later with a save on Michu, who beat multiple defenders before hitting a powerful shot toward the near post.
United was looking very poor leading up to their opening goal, which came out of absolutely nowhere. A lofted ball into the box by Ryan Giggs took a deflection, confusing the Swansea defenders and allowing the ball to fall to van Persie. The Red Devils striker let the ball bounce, then jumped up and hit a beautiful scissor kick volley that Vorm had absolutely no chance to stop, putting United ahead 1-0 against the run of play.
Obviously rattled by conceding after a spell of dominance, the Swansea defense conceded a second and much less impressive goal less than two minutes later. Welbeck was the scorer, tapping in a low cross from Antonio Valencia, who was allowed way too much time and space to pick out a pass on the right flank.
Faced with a two-goal deficit, Swansea made two attacking changes at halftime. Routledge came off for Pablo Hernandez while summer signing Wilfried Bony entered the game for Leon Britton. In the 62nd minute, Manchester United made a big substitution of their own, bringing on the reportedly unsettled Wayne Rooney.
Whether he caused a spark or his presence was merely coincidental, United began to play much better when Rooney entered the game. Patrice Evra nearly scored off a set piece with a low shot in the 70th minute, but Jose Alberto Cañas was well-positioned to clear off the line. United wouldn't have to wait much longer for their third goal, which came by way of van Persie again. He powered a strike into the top corner at the near post in the 72nd minute, providing United with a bit of insurance.
Bony gave Swansea a slight glimmer of hope with a debut goal in the 82nd minute, capitalizing on a through ball from Hernandez following a giveaway by Welbeck, but Swansea failed to threaten again after that strike. In stoppage time, with Swansea pushing forward, Welbeck found a second goal. Rooney set him up with a turn and through ball, but the real class was in the finish, a brilliant chipped effort from Welbeck.
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