Manchester United secured a 4-1 win against Newcastle to keep Man City within their sights. How he’s been missed. In the space of 70 minutes Paul Pogba provided a compelling demonstration of just how important he is to Manchester United – just how handicapped they have been by his absence. When the £89m midfielder limped away off the Old Trafford pitch with a hamstring injury two months ago, he left Jose Mourinho’s side sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League – dreaming of a first title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
By the time he took to the pitch again – against Newcastle Saturday evening – United were 11 points adrift of Manchester City, with title talk this season increasingly the stuff of fantasy. Kevin de Bruyne was once again the driving force as Pep Guardiola’s rampant leaders made it 10 straight league wins with victory at Leicester. And the Belgian’s brilliance this season has only highlighted just how much United have suffered without their own talisman.
At the time of Pogba’s hamstring tear against Basel in September, he’d established himself as the beating heart of Mourinho’s team. That crucial link between midfield and attack – the strongest personality in a squad shorn of the departed Wayne Rooney and injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic. At his best he can do things no other midfielder on these shores can. A player who transplants the dribbling skills of a winger to congested central areas of the pitch. He has the vision to split defences in an instant with the flick of a boot – the ability to find the net from distance. When he drifts out wide, he’s as good a crosser of the ball as any player in Mourinho’s squad.
Pogba is United’s De Bruyne – and if he can maintain his fitness, he may be the only man capable of preventing his City rival from dominating the individual honours. Mourinho acknowledged Pogba’s importance – throwing him straight back into his starting line up for a match he knew United simply had to win following City’s 2-0 win earlier in the day. Any mis-step between now and the derby and Guardiola’s side could have the chance to virtually end United’s title hopes at Old Trafford on December 10. And how Pogba delivered in a 4-1 win. Within minutes his influence was felt – orchestrating teammates as Mourinho’s voice on the pitch.
