Jose Mourinho insists he was pleased with Alexis Sanchez‘s Manchester United debut after the Chilean helped the Red Devils progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup. Goals from Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera, Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku wrapped up a comfortable 4-0 victory over League Two side Yeovil Town at Huish Park. Sanchez, making his first appearance for the Red Devils since leaving Arsenal, provided an assist and was named the Man of the Match.
Speaking after the win, Mourinho said of Sanchez: ‘He’s a fantastic addition. Everyone is happy he comes – good players want to play with good players. ‘He’s a fantastic player for us. The question is always where is he going to play? It’s not about that for us, it’s about our fantastic group of players. ‘He has a bit more maturity and experience. His choice for the counter-attack [United’s second goal] is the kind of choice that Marcus [Rashford] is still too nervous to make.
‘He will bring us this extra maturity and class – we are really pleased with him. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for him but I’m happy with his performance.’ Herrera also spoke glowingly of Sanchez, whose arrival at Old Trafford came after Henrikh Mkhitaryan agreed to be part of a swap deal. ‘I think he can play in every position,’ the Spanish midfielder said. ‘He’s a fantastic player – his attitude is amazing and even for a top player like him he’s a star. ‘He fights for every ball – it’s amazing to have him with us, we’re going to enjoy him, so are the fans.’ United struggled to break League Two side Yeovil down in the first half but found the breakthrough shortly before half-time as Rashford took advantage of some sloppy defending.
Hererra doubled the lead after a fine counter-attack led by Sanchez, before Lingard and Lukaku both scored in injury-time. ‘These matches are difficult if not attitude is not correct but it was,’ Mourinho added. ‘In the first-half they gave us a difficult time – great attitude from them, very organised. ‘But we were professional and had control of the game, we had the possession and the space. We killed the game.’ Lingard, who netted his goal after replacing Sanchez in the 72nd minute, said: ‘We had to make sure our attitude was spot on, it was always going to be tough but we adapted well. ‘Everyone was ready to make an impact. Every competition is important, it’s great to win trophies.’
