Three things we learned from Manchester United’s rout of Leicester

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Flashes of class from the £89 million man

United’s first-half demolition of the Foxes was their most impressive showing of the campaign thus far, and it was also incidentally the game in which Paul Pogba put in his most influential display for Manchester United since his world-record fee move from Serie A club Juventus.

Ridiculed for his anonymous displays thus far this season, Pogba showed a glimpse of the ability he has at his disposal and went some way to justifying his huge price-tag, playing more passes than any other player on the pitch, the most passes in the Leicester half, having more touches of the ball and shots on target than any other player, as well as registering a match-high of three key passes in the final third.

Pogba started the game as a deeper midfield partner to Spaniard Ander Herrera, but the Frenchman provided the engine to the United machine, with surging runs forward from midfield to bring the attack forward, and he often ventured far enough into the final third to wreak havoc on Leicester’s rearguard through some slick link-up play with Juan Mata in the Number Ten role.

The Euro 2016 runner-up was at the heart of all of United’s positive work in the first-half, playing a superb lofted through-ball to Ibrahimovic who volleyed over with the ball dropping over his shoulder; a move which would surely have been a goal of the season contender had the Swede hit the target. His own 35-yard snapshot was well watched by Leicester’s stand-in shotstopper Ron-Robert Zieler, and he played a part in the passing move that led to Juan Mata’s strike before getting on the scoresheet himself, lurking in wait for the ball at the near post before heading the inswinging corner across Zieler and into the opposite corner.

A player who can command such a fee and is touted as being one of the most promising midfield talents in the world must deal with the pressure of being expected to take command of games and control the centre of the park. In the first-half in particular, he did so in stylish fashion to deliver the ideal response to his critics. His second-half performance was somewhat more subdued, but by then the hosts were out of sight and Pogba had made his mark. If he is to truly endear himself to the Old Trafford faithful however, he must deliver this form consistently, and that will go much further in justifying his hefty world-record breaking transfer fee.