Manchester United 4-0 Everton
It was all about the two Rs and Friends reunited at Old Trafford.
The main focus in the late summer sun at the Theatre of Dreams was always going to be on Romelu Lukaku and Wayne Rooney.
One star prompted Manchester United to pay £75 million so he could score goals aplenty – and goals, of course, win football games.
The other, a returning hero who spent much of his career eclipsing sports betting stakes on his way to becoming the all-time top scorer for an elite Premier League club and England.
And what a reception he received.
Rooney applauded all sections of the ground as he appeared from the tunnel and the welcome was fully reciprocated, United fans also displaying a banner in honour of their former great, the ‘legend’ as they call him, the former skipper who served them so well, man and boy. There was even a cuddle in the tunnel from Jose Mourinho.
Of course, there were other absent friends in Marouane Fellaini and Morgan Schneiderlin, the latter warmly received by ex-team-mates on his first return since departing Old Trafford in January.
Still, not all friends could end up happy on an afternoon like this and once the action started, it went from warm to red hot!
A wonderful strike inside four minutes from man who has replaced Rooney as United captain (in Michael Carrick’s absence), Antonio Valencia.
In truth, both men at the centre of the spotlight could and, perhaps, should then have scored. Lukaku midway through the first half and Rooney early in the second after he showed his trademark and made a chance out of nothing.
Juan Mata was only denied a second by the woodwork but Everton were the better side in this encounter in the second half until United, moments after Rooney left the fray to a standing ovation and the ground chanting his name, finished with a flourish to give the scoreline a more than flattering look.
Seven minutes from time Henrikh Mkhitaryan capitalised on a mistake from the otherwise impressive Ashley Williams to seal the points before Lukaku, predictably, stabbed home the third and substitute Anthony Martial coolly added the fourth from the penalty spot.
Game over and a miserable week for Toffees, although boss Ronald Koeman will surely turn matters around.
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