Analysing Nemanja Matic’s Premier League debut for Manchester United

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Nemanja Matic was impressive on his Premier League debut for Manchester United. It was a surprise that Chelsea allowed the Serbian to join a rival club and his performance on Sunday suggested that the champions may live to regret that decision. Jose Mourinho opted to start the midfielder alongside Paul Pogba in a 4-2-3-1 formation and it worked to great effect. The Frenchman was able to get forward to join the attack and he thrived as a result. It was important that they found a way to free their club-record signing and the addition of Matic should go a long way to doing that.

In the media, Matic is wrongly labelled a holding midfielder. He improves the defensive organisation of a team, but he is effective with the ball and he played a huge role in the transition phase on Sunday. During the match, he completed seven dribbles, which was the most in the match. The Serbain was effective at driving his side forwards and his judgement on when to embark on these forays into the attacking half was spot on.

United dominated the game with slick passing combinations and West Ham didn’t have an answer to them. Matic understands his role in the team and that is why he was targeted by Mourinho. The Red Devils’ manager had coached him before and it was clear that he knew what was expected from him, as the match progressed on Sunday. He was tidy in possession and never took risks when they weren’t required. The 29-year-old ended the match with an 86% pass success rate and recycled the ball well in the centre of the park.

Alongside Pogba, the Serbian forms an intimidating central midfield partnership as they both stand tall and offer a physical presence that is daunting to opposition sides. During the match at Old Trafford, the former Chelsea man won four aerial duels to establish his ability in the air. West Ham chose to go direct at times, but it didn’t have the desired effect. Whether the ball is on the floor or in the air, Matic can deal with it.

West Ham were toothless in attack, but Matic did what he had to do when they did have possession. He worked hard and maintained good positioning throughout the match. It was his aggression that helped United to the first goal, as he won the ball back in midfield before setting up a counter-attack that resulted in Romelu Lukaku opening the scoring. It was a great piece of play and showed why the club needed a player like him. He ended the match with three ball recoveries.

It was a positive Premier League debut for his new club and Matic showed that he still has a lot to offer at this level. Chelsea decided to let him go, but they have strengthened a rival club and the addition of the 29-year-old has helped balance the United midfield. They previously had problems in that area, but the addition of Matic will go a long way to addressing those.