Acrobatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic Goal Incorrectly Ruled Out For Dangerous Play

Grant Leadbitter’s goal after 67 minutes gave Aitor Karanka’s visitors a surprise advantage until Anthony Martial swept home on 85 minutes and Paul Pogba won it 87 seconds later with a fine header.

France global Anthony Martial levelled in the 85th minute with a powerful finish after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had an effort chalked off in the first half due to a high boot.

Had Ibrahimovic scored he would have finished 2016 level with Lionel Messi with 51 goals for club and country, and his United manager said it was a shame that the Swede fell short.

Martial hasn’t exactly lit up the score sheet at Old Trafford this year.

Moments of true catharsis have been rare for Manchester United in recent years.

Speaking in his postmatch news conference, Mourinho said: “He played, he created, he scored, he fought”. Nevertheless, the team morale seems to be getting better with time.

Manager Slaven Bilic has been lost for words in response to his side’s performances, and more bad results could see the Croat get his termination letter.

“But they are not just one or two or three [players]”. United have barely looked back since, with Carrick’s calming influence steadying the defence and also unleashing those in front of him. Antonio Valencia is expected to start at right-back with Matteo Darmian on the opposite side. Elsewhere in defence Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling are available, although Mourinho is unlikely to break the blossoming partnership between Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo.

The teenager had an instant impact as he dribbled through the left side of the box before rolling the ball across the face of the goal, but no United player was able to provide the finishing touch. Ahead of him, a centre-back pairing of Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna will look to nullify the opposition threat. Lanzini may be the one to replace Noble in the central midfield.

United are now just three points adrift of the Champions League places, and four behind Arsenal in third. After an indifferent start to the season which saw them hovering around the relegation zone, the east London outfit have made steady progress to propel themselves into mid-table.

“So then I go to [Jesse] Lingard, [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan, [Anthony] Martial, the players I know 100 percent are going to stay with us”.

Manchester United completed a late show that birthday boy Sir Alex Ferguson would have been proud of, two goals in the last five minutes snatching victory against Middlesbrough. “For sure they are going to win the African Cup”.