1. Wayne Rooney dropped, United respond
Jose Mourinho's decision to drop Wayne Rooney for the visit of Leicester City was not a surprising one, such is the state of the Manchester United captain's form. It was still a big one, though, and one that was justified before half-time of their 4-1 win over the defending champions.
The cruelty of being left on the bench is Rooney had a perfect view of your colleagues doing their job much better without him. Rooney was perhaps watching his transition from certain starter to bit-part player be rubber-stamped before his eyes, from the best seat in the house.
United killed the game before half-time, though the four goals came against a Leicester side that looked a shadow of the one that so implausibly succeeded last season, perhaps owed more to poor Foxes' defending than Rooney's absence. Still, United were more fluid, passed the ball with more purpose and generally looked much more dangerous without him.
Leicester actually had the better of the game in the early stages, probing and dominating possession even if they didn't create too many clear chances. However, it was United that took the lead after 22 minutes, when Chris Smalling found a little space in the area from a corner and headed home, with a little help from Ron-Robert Zieler. The Leicester keeper, in the side because Kasper Schmeichel was struggling with a groin injury, should certainly have done better with Smalling's effort, only managing to palm the ball into the net when he got both hands to it.
From that point United found some vigour: Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcus Rashford missed good chances; Paul Pogba had a wobbler of a long shot pawed out by Zieler; and Mourinho's side looked more dynamic. They doubled the lead in the 37th minute, a beautiful, flowing move that involved, at various points, all 10 outfielders and ended with a swept finish by Juan Mata. It was three shortly afterward, as Leicester took a nap while waiting for a corner, Daley Blind played it quickly and Rashford was there to poke home, untroubled in the 6-yard box.
Just before half-time it was four, as Leicester again seemingly decided that marking from a corner was an optional extra. Pogba outmuscled Christian Fuchs and glanced a header home.
Game over, and the following 45 minutes became an administrative formality. Not that it was entirely without problems. Demarai Gray pulled a goal back with a stunner into the top corner after too easily getting past Jesse Lingard.
Leicester looked much more dangerous, curiously enough, after the removal of last season's key attackers, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.
But they couldn't add to Gray's consolation, and United closed out the victory.