After suffering through a disastrous season, Manchester United fans were given a rare reason to celebrate on Saturday when Ryan Giggs led the Devils in a 4-0 thrashing of Premier League strugglers Norwich City at Old Trafford in his first match as interim manager.
Wayne Rooney and substitute Juan Mata scored two goals apiece as the soon-to-be-dethroned English champions left the Canaries just a point above the relegation zone with two games remaining.
Giggs, who decided against naming himself in the starting side or on the bench, saw Rooney give United the lead with a 41st-minute penalty after Danny Welbeck went down in the box.
Photo: AFP
England striker Rooney made it 2-0 seven minutes after the break with a curling shot from outside the box as Norwich’s defense flailed.
Mata put the result beyond doubt in the 63rd minute when he turned in Phil Jones’ cross, before adding a second 10 minutes later as Norwich again retreated.
“I enjoyed it,” Giggs told Sky Sports after the game. “Four-nil is a dream day for us, I’m really pleased with the performance. I reminded the players the tempo needed to be quicker at halftime and they reacted well to that.”
Photo: EPA
“I didn’t sleep last night. Leaving the likes of Juan Mata out of the starting XI was difficult and a position I’ve never been in before. I’m also one of their teammates. [However,] you saw the reaction of Juan, he’s a true pro,” Giggs added.
The United great, previously a player-coach, was put in charge for the final four games of the season after former manager David Moyes was sacked on Tuesday last week.
Moyes was dismissed just 10 months after replacing the retired Alex Ferguson when a 2-0 defeat by Everton made it mathematically impossible for United to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Photo: AFP
Elsewhere in the Premier League, Fulham missed the chance to climb out of the relegation zone after Hull City came from 2-0 down to secure a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage.
Ashkan Dejagah curled in a 55th-minute shot and the west London side doubled their lead through Fernando Amorebieta’s header three minutes later.
Nikica Jelavic pulled one back for Hull in the 75th and they equalized three minutes from time through Shane Long.
Also on Saturday, West Bromwich Albion moved five points clear of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win at home to West Ham United courtesy of Saido Berahino’s 11th-minute goal, while Aston Villa were left just four points above the drop after a 4-1 loss at Swansea City.
Wilfried Bony opened the scoring for Swansea before Gabriel Agbonlahor briefly drew Villa level. However, midfielder Jonjo Shelvey restored Swansea’s lead in the 26th and Pablo Hernandez made it 3-1 before Bony converted a late penalty.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur moved to within three points of fifth-placed Everton with a 1-0 win at Stoke City thanks to Danny Rose’s header in the 33rd.
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