Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic shine in new-look Man Utd vs West Ham 4-0

Romelu Lukaku scored twice in the 4-0 thrashing of West Ham
Could Manchester United's 4-0 thrashing of West Ham
signal a new dawn for Jose Mourinho's side? We examine the signs of
transformation after they kicked off their Premier League campaign in
style.
Mourinho's starting line-up against West Ham only featured
two new faces but the difference from last season could hardly have been
more striking. In place of ponderousness and profligacy, there was
power and purpose. And in front of a buoyant Old Trafford crowd,
Manchester United enjoyed their biggest Premier League win since
September 2014.Mourinho insisted there was room for improvement in his post-match press conference and he is right to be cautious, but he will also take immense satisfaction
from the transformative impact of his summer signings. Nemanja Matic marshalled the midfield with man-of-the-match excellence, while Romelu Lukaku looked every bit a £75m striker as he dominated West Ham's backline.
United's failure to finish chances was their undoing in games such as these last season, but Lukaku didn't need a second invitation. He scored with each of his shots on target, and by the end of the game he was a desperate West Ham block away from becoming the first Premier League player since Fabrizio Ravanelli to score a hat-trick on his debut.
"There was real purpose about him today," said Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness afterwards. "We questioned him and whether he would be able to do it every week, but he's now put a marker down. That's how he's got to be for this crowd. He was fabulous today."
Matic was arguably even more influential. The Serb had more touches, played more passes, won more duels and even completed more dribbles than any other player on the pitch. There was no goal or assist, but it was his challenge on Pedro Obiang that started the counter-attack for the first goal, and he was involved in the build-up to the fourth, too.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of his performance, however, was the way in which he unleashed Pogba. His discipline and defensive diligence gave the Frenchman freedom to charge forwards, and he also provided a steady supply line to his midfield partner. Over the course of the 90 minutes, Matic found Pogba with more passes (14) than anyone else.
Jose Mourinho gives his verdict on Manchester United's 4-0 win over West Ham
"I played as a holding midfield player and he's arguably the best around at this time," added Souness. "The untrained eye doesn't always see the value players in that position bring to the team, but I think we saw a bit of everything from him today. He was good going forward and good holding."
Romelu
Lukaku scored twice on his debut and says it was a promising start to
the season after Manchester United's 4-0 victory over West Ham at Old
Trafford

I still can't believe Chelsea have let him go. It just does not make sense.
Gary Neville on Nemanja Matic
"I've never seen this league being won without the power and pace and without there being a really strong spine," said Neville. "Looking at Manchester United now, it does seem like they've got that. It's only day one, but they do look like they've got the attributes to mount a challenge for the Premier League title. They look like they've got everything."
Neville knows far tougher challenges lie ahead and so too does Mourinho, but this opening day victory was the perfect way to get started. As they gear up for the season ahead, the early evidence suggests Matic and Lukaku are the right men to lead the way.
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