Manchester United recorded their biggest Premier League win of the season as they swept aside Fulham in a match Cottagers boss Claudio Ranieri described as “11 lambs against 11 wolves”.
The victory – United’s first in five league matches – moved them up to sixth, while bottom-of-the-table Fulham have now conceded 40 goals in 16 matches.
“In the first half we were shy, we were waiting,” said Ranieri after his fourth match in charge. “Why? Why were we waiting? The first half was a warm-up.
“I want my team to play and fight for every single ball. We have to be stronger, more confident in our qualities.
“In the first half it was 11 lambs against 11 wolves. The wolves ate the lambs.”
The hosts took the lead after 13 minutes when Ashley Young bustled his way into the penalty area and curled the ball into the far corner.
Marcus Rashford set up Juan Mata for United’s second, before Romelu Lukaku finished from close range from Mata’s low cross.
Substitute Aboubakar Kamara pulled one back with a penalty after he had been fouled by Ander Herrera, but Ranieri’s side were soon reduced to 10 men, when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa was dismissed for two bookable offences.
England striker Rashford sealed United’s victory with a powerful strike from a tight angle that beat Sergio Rico at his near post.
This was the first time this season the Red Devils had won by a three-goal margin in the league, though they did beat Young Boys 3-0 in the Champions League in September.
The last time they won by three goals in the league was on 15 January, with a 3-0 home defeat of Stoke.
This was a welcome win for United after a derby defeat by Manchester City on 11 November that preceded three successive draws in the league – against Crystal Palace, Southampton and Arsenal.
That had increased the external pressure on Mourinho, though his agent said on Friday the Portuguese was “very happy at the club and the club is very happy with him”.
Mourinho named World Cup winner Paul Pogba on the bench, as he was against the Gunners, while forward Anthony Martial was missing because of a hamstring injury.
The United boss kept faith with 19-year-old right-back Diogo Dalot, starting a Premier League match for only the second time after his £19m summer move from Porto, and was rewarded with a fine performance.
But United’s first goal came from the other full-back – Young, who picked up the ball on the side of the penalty area, forced his way past Denis Odoi and curled home.
Mata, who came in for Martial, was also excellent, scoring the second, then setting up Lukaku – scoring his second goal in 15 United games – for the third.
Kamara lifted Fulham’s hopes of a recovery with a controversial penalty after he was tackled by Herrera, who looked to have won the ball.
But the London side were reduced to 10 men within two minutes of that goal, and from then on United dominated again and Rashford got the goal he deserved in the 82nd minute to complete a fine evening for United and Mourinho.
For Fulham, the opening half highlighted their defensive frailties. They are the only team not to have kept a clean sheet in the top flight this season, and have now conceded at least three goals in a match in seven of 16 games.
Ranieri will be worried by the ease with which his side were carved open for United’s first three goals.
The Italian, a Premier League winner with Leicester, made two big decisions at half-time – replacing top goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic and captain Tom Cairney with Luciano Vietto and Kamara – and was rewarded with a much better second-half performance.
Kamara won a penalty and converted it himself, but any hope of an incredible fightback ended within two minutes when Anguissa was sent off. The Cameroon international seemed to be penalised harshly by referee Lee Probert when he was adjudged to have fouled Rashford, after being cautioned for an earlier foul on Lingard.
With only 10 men, it was no surprise Fulham conceded again and Ranieri will face a very difficult task to tighten his side up in defence as they look to avoid an instant return to the Championship.