Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United reign began with a comfortable 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium on Saturday.
Academy graduates Will Keane and Andreas Pereira stole the on-field show with goals as Mourinho got his first taste of a competitive fixture.
Unofficial debuts were handed to Mourinho’s summer signings Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, while Luke Shaw made his first appearance since suffering a double leg fracture last September.
Mkhitaryan was notably pulling the strings in the number 10 role and the Armenia captain almost set up Memphis to score the opening goal, when the Dutch winger met his incisive pass to shoot just wide of the left post.
While Mkhitaryan could have scored his first goal for the club when he missed the target from Wilson’s driven right-wing cross, the former Borussia Dortmund forward showed his creativity throughout a promising first half before exiting at the break as one of seven planned substitutions.
United took the lead at the start of the second half when former Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen gifted possession to Juan Mata inside the penalty area, allowing the Spaniard to tee up Will Keane for an easy finish into an open goal.
It was a sweet moment for the striker, who had been out of action since suffering an injury in the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Shrewsbury Town in February.
The Reds deservedly doubled the advantage in the 58th minute when another of those seven half-time substitutes, Andreas Pereira, lashed the ball into the top corner of the net, capitalising on a loose ball after Ander Herrera had scuffed his own shot from Ashley Young’s short free-kick.
Nick Powell, whose contract at United expired earlier this summer, made his unofficial debut for Wigan in the second half but his presence could not inspire the Latics, who will hope to muster more of an attacking threat during Sunday’s friendly against Liverpool. For United, this was a professional and pleasing performance that kickstarted the Mourinho era with a pleasing 2-0 victory.
