Life is pretty darn sweet for our Manchester United supporters who are ordering the double measure spirits in the Football Transfer Tavern right now in celebration at being top of the Premier League.
Having pegged back and now exceeded Manchester City’s tally at the summit with the Citizens having lost emphatically at Tottenham at the weekend, Louis van Gaal’s United are top again for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge back in May 2013.
If the truth be told, nobody was and is expecting United to win the Premier League this term considering van Gaal is still midway through imposing his philosophy with the Red Devils still looking like a team in transition at times but with the Swansea City defeat now behind them, United seem to be putting a consistent little run together.
Going up against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, that huge fixture will tell us a lot more about United’s title prospects this term and lets not forget, van Gaal managed to earn a victory at the home of the Gunners last season.
The fantastic thing for United right now is that Anthony Martial has started his Red Devils career like a train while Wayne Rooney is back on the goal trail and Juan Mata now definitely looks like he’s made Old Trafford his home for good.
Add into the mix that United are now able to call upon extra quality bodies in midfield such as Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger and who knows; perhaps the Red Devils can go the distance in the Premier League this season.
With plenty more action of course yet to take place this term, we’re feeling a little reflective at the moment while devising a list of United’s five best strikes so far this 2015/16 campaign.
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Click on the image below to reveal the five best Manchester United goals so far this 2015/16 season.
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Memphis Depay (1st goal) vs Club Brugge (H)
Having been signed for a huge fee that could rise to £31 million this summer, not to mention the fact he’s adopted the famous number 7 shirt as made famous by the likes of Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, there was always going to be a certain level of high expectation when it came to Memphis Depay.
And to be honest, the Dutch international is making a pretty good fist of his United career so far with the former PSV Eindhoven man steadily getting better with each passing week.
That said, one of his best single performances in his fledgling United career thus far came against Club Brugge in the first leg of the Red Devils’ Champions League qualifier against Club Brugge at Old Trafford.
Levelling up the scoring following Brugge taking a surprise early lead through an own goal conceded by Michael Carrick, Depay took all the responsibility while juggling the ball over a Brugge defender’s head on the left hand side of the pitch before cutting inside and sending more defenders on a merry dance before coolly picking his spot with extreme composure.
His first goal for the club of course, we’re likely to see these kind of finishes time and time again from Depay in his spell at Old Trafford.
Anthony Martial vs Liverpool (H)
As far as fairytale Premier League debuts go, this strike from Anthony Martial against United’a arch-rivals Liverpool a few weekends ago has to be right up there.
With United having bossed the huge fixture while sailing into a 2-0 lead over Brendan Rodgers’ side, there was in fact signs of life for the Reds who grabbed a quite stunning consolation goal through Christian Benteke who pulled it back to 2-1 with a fine overhead kick.
But this hope was only short lived for the Merseysiders who were struck down by a man on a mission in Martial who had emerged from the bench five minutes after the hour mark to make his first ever United appearance.
The Frenchman will forever remember minute number 86 as the one in which he opened his Red Devils account, collecting the ball on the left hand side of the pitch before drifting inside in Thierry Henry fashion, skirting past Martin Skrtel and coolly placing the ball beyond Simon Mignolet to put the game to bed while sending United supporters and Martin Tyler into overdrive!
Juan Mata vs Southampton (A)
It wasn’t the actual finishing strike from Juan Mata that earns this goal it’s place in this countdown but rather the incredible string of 45 Manchester United passes that proceeded the Spaniard’s strike past hapless Southampton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
With United fans having been absolutely delighted by Anthony Martial scoring two more early goals in his United career, Mata put Louis van Gaal’s men into a 3-1 lead on 68 minutes after United had strung an incredible 40+ pass move together before Memphis Depay struck the post only for Mata to look alive while slamming in the rebound.
Southampton fans will tell you the Saints’ players legs had gone although United fans will claim it was total football and Louis van Gaal’s philosophy coming to life in front of everybody’s watching eyes.
Memphis Depay (2nd goal) vs Club Brugge (H)
If you thought Memphis Depay’s first goal against Club Brugge (our first on this countdown) was good, the second was something else!
After United fans were sent into a panic early doors on eight minutes when Michael Carrick unfortunately put through his own net, Depay single-handedly masterminded the comeback with this second strike of his coming just two minutes before half-time to change Louis van Gaal’s team-talk entirely.
Collecting a perfectly weighted through ball out of the defence from Daley Blind on the left hand side of the pitch, Depay did the rest having cut inside the Brugge right back on his favoured right foot before unleashing an absolutely unstoppable curling drive beyond Sebastien Bruzzeseto send Old Trafford into raptures.
Memphis Depay vs PSV Eindhoven (A)
Yes, it’s this man again Memphis Depay but this time not against Club Brugge but rather his former club PSV Eindhoven with United having made it through to the group stage proper having defeated the Belgian side in the qualifying round.
On a night which turned out to be one to forget for everybody connected with United with Louis van Gaal’s men going down to an eventual 2-1 defeat, not to mention the horrific leg break suffered by Luke Shaw, it actually started off very well for the Red Devils through Depay’s opener.
Playing against the side which sold him to Old Trafford in the summer, it was always going to be a hugely emotional encounter for Memphis but he put his affections for the Eredivisie outfit to one side on 41 minutes when he scored a sumptuous goal having cut in off the left hand side before tip toeing his way past Santiago Arias and Jeffrey Bruma excellently to then slot the ball home past Jeroen Zoet with his left boot.
