Paul Pogba scores his first ever goal for the Red Devils as Manchester United dominates Leicester City, 4-1.
Jose Mourinho's reshaped Manchester United destroyed Premier League champions Leicester City 4-1 with a performance that thrilled Old Trafford on Saturday and justified his decision to leave out Wayne Rooney.
The shake-up seemed to liberate Paul Pogba who led the way with a polished display, heading his first goal for the club on 42 minutes and starting the clever move that led to Juan Mata firing home United's second after 37 minutes.
Mata, who replaced Rooney, also played a major part in United's third, firing across goal for Marcus Rashford to convert from close range. Chris Smalling, who succeeded Rooney as captain, had begun the rout with a header after 22 minutes.
Three of the goals came via Daley Blind corners from the left as Leicester headed for their third league defeat, as many as they suffered in the whole of last season.
Claudio Ranieri responded by replacing Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez at halftime with substitute Demarai Gray looping a 20-yard shot over David de Gea for a 59th-minute consolation.
Rooney, England's record goal-scorer, came on as a late substitute.
"Of course, he is as happy as I am," Mourinho told reporters.
"His team won. He is a big player for me, for United and for this country. I trust him completely."
Mourinho, who also left out Marouane Fellaini, was delighted with the showing on the back on two successive league defeats.
"It was a very good performance and a good result. Obviously in the second half no one was expecting us to score four more goals. It was more about control.
"We had intensity, movement, good dynamic."
Ranieri said his team paid the price for not concentrating properly.
"I made the changes at halftime because the game had gone and I preferred to keep them for the next game," he said.
The win moved United into third place with 12 points from six games ahead of Saturday's other games. Leicester drop to 12th with seven points.
Liverpool crush Hull to boost title credentials
Free-scoring Liverpool's burgeoning Premier League title challenge was given further impetus with a merciless 5-1 thrashing of 10-man Hull City at Anfield on Saturday.
Hull, who had not lost an away game all season, were overrun, forced to play for an hour with 10 men after Ahmed Elmohamady was sent off for handling a Philippe Coutinho shot on the line with James Milner tucking away the resulting penalty.
The home side, already ahead through Adam Lallana, looked poised to score every time they pressed forward with Sadio Mane making it three before the break with his 11th goal in his last 13 league games for Southampton and Liverpool.
David Meyler's unlikely 51st-minute response for Hull was short-lived, Coutinho answering instantly with a superb fourth before Milner completed the rout with his second penalty after Daniel Sturridge had been fouled by Andrew Robertson.
Aguero double leads Man City past Swansea
Sergio Aguero struck twice to lead Premier League leaders Manchester City to a comfortable 3-1 victory over Swansea on Saturday.
Argentine Aguero fired City ahead after nine minutes with a neat finish but Swansea hit straight back through Spanish forward Fernando Llorente who blasted the ball home from 12 metres.
Manchester City poured forward in the second half, Raheem Sterling wasting a good opportunity before Aguero coolly converted a 65th-minute penalty following a foul on Kevin de Bruyne.
Sterling scored with a fine finish 13 minutes from time to confirm City's sixth successive league victory of the season.
