How Manchester United rated in their convincing victory over West Ham United

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Manchester United were superb as they returned to Premier League action as they ran rampant against a new-look West Ham United side. Last season, their problems were in attack, as they were wasteful with chances and lacked a clinical edge in front of goal. They needed to start strongly to put those demons to bed and they did that. Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic both impressed on their debuts. United look to be a real title contender on first impressions. Here are how their players rated on Sunday:

David de Gea – The Spaniard made a good stop to deny Edimilson Fernandes late in the first half, but aside from that he had relatively little to do. He will be happy with the clean sheet and his distribution accuracy of 73% showed he was effective at launching attacks from deep. 6

Antonio Valencia – There were few better in his position in the Premier League last season and he started the new campaign with a solid performance. He offered good support down the right-hand side and looked solid defensively. 6

Eric Bailly – The Ivorian has a big future and he could establish himself as one of the finest centre backs in the league under Jose Mourinho. West Ham offered little in attack, but he dealt with what came his way with relative ease. 6

Phil Jones – The 25-year-old isn’t expected to be a regular in the first-team this season, but he performed well and gave Mourinho something to think about. He completed five ball recoveries and won three aerial duels. His positioning was good and he looked comfortably with the ball at his feet. 7

Daley Blind – His delivery from set pieces was good and he made five clearances at the back to ease the pressure on his team. It was a decent performance, but he didn’t have a lot to deal with. The left-back spot is one that could change as the season progresses. 6

Nemanja Matic – The Serbian looks to be a great signing on this performance as he provided drive from the midfield, as shown by seven successful dribbles. He complemented Paul Pogba effectively, as many predicted. There were a couple of nervy moments, but on the whole, he will be pleased with his display. He completed three ball recoveries and contributed in both halves of the pitch. 7

Paul Pogba – This is going to be a big season for the Frenchman and he started with a great display on the opening day. He completed six dribbles to push his side forward and made two key passes in attack. Pogba managed to open his account with a powerful drive from range and that will give him confidence heading into the rest of the season. 7

Juan Mata – The Spaniard worked hard and showed why he started the game, as he contributes defensively. In attack, he made some good contributions and completed two key passes, but he lacks the dynamism that the other players in the attack possess. He is important to the club, but he won’t start every week. 6

Henrikh Mkhitaryan – After a decent first season in England, Mkhitaryan could push on to the next level this campaign and he showed how effective he could be during the win over West Ham. He completed six key passes, which was more than any other player on the pitch. The Armenian contributed two assists and was a threat every time he got on the ball. 9

Marcus Rashford – The teenager had the beating of Pablo Zabaleta every time he got on the ball and he was a threat all afternoon. He got the assist for the first goal with a nice through ball for Romelu Lukaku. His final ball is lacking consistency, but he remains a great player to have in the final third. Before being taken off, he came close to scoring as he smashed the post with a great effort. 7

Romelu Lukaku – He was always going to be under the microscope today and he lived up to expectations with an excellent striking display. The Belgian scored the first two goals and caused problems all afternoon with his movement. United struggled to kill games off last season. That won’t be a problem with Lukaku leading the line. 8

Marouane Fellaini – The midfielder came on and didn’t have a huge impact. He is a good option to have from the bench, but he wasn’t needed on Sunday. 6

Anthony Martial – The Frenchman didn’t have long to make an impact, but that didn’t prevent him from proving his worth to the squad. He was a direct threat and he managed to have a hand in two goals. It is crucial that United don’t sell him in this window. He has a part to play. 8

Jesse Lingard – He wasn’t on the pitch long enough to make an impact. N/A