Not since 2001 had the Reds managed five goals in
an opening 45 minutes, while there was also a
personal milestone for young Mason Greenwood Manchester United scored five times in the first half of a competitive match for the first time in 19 years
against Tranmere Rovers on Sunday. With two wins from seven games in all competitions
and just six goals scored in 2020, Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer had been feeling the pressure ahead of
the visit to Prenton Park. United made light of a wretched playing surface,
though, with a ruthless first 45 minutes putting
them 5-0 ahead.
Harry Maguire scored his first goal for the club with
a thumping strike from 25 yards, before Diogo
Dalot and Jesse Lingard made it 3-0 after 16
minutes. Phil Jones' towering header – his first United goal
since March 2014 – made it 4-0 and Anthony
Martial added a fifth shortly before the break. The last time United scored five in the first half of a
match was back in February 2001, when they
destroyed Arsenal in a 6-1 Premier League victory at Old Trafford. Solskjaer scored the fifth goal that day, which also
featured a Dwight Yorke hat-trick and further
strikes from Roy Keane and Teddy Sheringham.
4 - Harry Maguire has scored four goals
from outside the box in his club career,
with all four coming in different
competitions (FA Cup, Premier League,
League One and the EFL Trophy). Leather.

The second half saw United take their foot off the
accelerator somewhat, although they managed to
further extend their lead over the hapless hosts. After 56 minutes the Reds won a penalty when
Tahith Chong was felled in the Tranmere area, and
Mason Greenwood stepped up to convert their
sixth goal of the afternoon.



18y 117d - Mason Greenwood has netted
his 10th goal of the season across all
competitions, while he's the first teenager
to take a penalty for Manchester United
since Wayne Rooney in December 2004
(19y 55d v Crystal Palace). Heir.


Greenwood, 18, took his tally to 10 for the season
in all competitions, while in hitting from the spot he
also repeated a feat last managed by Wayne
Rooney. Not since December 2004 and Rooney's effort
against Crystal Palace had a teenager taken a
penalty for United, but if Greenwood was feeling
the pressure he did not show it as he beat
Tranmere No. 1 Davies with a calm, collected strike. United's next outing, however, is likely to pose a
rather sterner challenge. On Wednesday Solskjaer's men visit the Etihad
Stadium, with the daunting task of overturning a
3-1 aggregate deficit against Manchester City in order to book a place in the Carabao Cup final.