Manchester United made a return to winning ways on Saturday as they earned a 3-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League.
The visitors opened the scoring in the first half through Phil Jones before before Wayne Rooney made it 2-0 with 64 minutes on the clock.
United then sealed the points in the 83rd minute thanks to substitute Danny Welbeck.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two sides at The Hawthorns.
Match statistics
West Brom
Shots: 14
On target: 3
Possession: 45%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 11
Man Utd
Shots: 14
On target: 5
Possession: 55%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 10
Was the result fair?
Manchester United have not had too many emphatic wins this season, but this was one that they thoroughly deserved. The Red Devils looked hungry going forward and remained patient against a determined West Brom side.
West Brom's performance
The Baggies can be proud of their display as they fought hard with Manchester United for much of the contest. They were particularly fierce in midfield with Claudio Yacob and Youssouf Mulumbu doing their best to nullify United's creative players. However, the hosts lost some of their spark when Yacob went off injured at the end of the first half, allowing the away side to seize control and take the points. Their situation down at the bottom of the table does not look good, but they certainly have enough to stay up if this competitive showing is anything to go by.
Man Utd's performance
The champions struggled to break West Brom down during the first half, but the game changed when Phil Jones opened the scoring on 34 minutes. United looked more relaxed after that and starting playing in a more fluid, attacking style. They continued in this way for the second half, and as the game wore on they began to tear the Baggies apart with some slick passing and movement. Manager David Moyes should also be pleased with his defence because they did well to keep West Brom at bay, particularly the lively Victor Anichebe.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Rafael: The United full-back was full of energy down the right flank, bursting forward to help his side in attack while tracking back and defending in his usual dogged style. His main contribution was floating in an incisive cross to set up Rooney for the visitors' second goal.
Biggest gaffe
Ben Foster would have given Roy Hodgson heart palpitations early on in the match when he sliced a simple clearance out for a corner. It might seem insignificant in the overall scheme of the match, but there are still plenty of question marks over the West Brom goalkeeper.
Referee performance
It was a mixed afternoon for Jon Moss as an otherwise decent display was tarnished by two key decisions that he got wrong. The first saw Ben Foster go unpunished after handling the ball outside of his box. The second saw Robin van Persie, who had already been booked, stay on the pitch following a poor challenge on Steven Reid. Luckily for Moss those incidents did not have a bearing on the result.
What next?
West Brom: The Baggies continue their fight for Premier League survival next Saturday when they make the trip to Swansea City.
Man Utd: United are back in action next Sunday as bitter rivals Liverpool travel to Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Jack Prescott
