Monday Briefing: 10 Key Points

There was plenty of news and information for Manchester United fans to track over the Easter weekend, so here is our punchy Monday Briefing to highlight 10 things you may have missed…

1: TOP-FOUR RACE HEATING UP
Okay, we doubt you missed the 2-0 win over Chelsea, but it’s worth stressing the importance of that victory after our top-four rivals Liverpool and Manchester City both won on Saturday. The Reds are now in fifth place and four points off the Champions League qualification places, but crucially with at least one game in hand on the teams above. Here's how the top six looks at present:

2: CATCHING SIR ALEX’S REDS
Our Premier League unbeaten run now stands at 22 matches (W12 D10) and that's the longest within a single season by any team since 2010/11, when Sir Alex Ferguson's men reached 24 fixtures. Meanwhile, Chelsea failed to register a shot on target in a Premier League match for the first time since September 2007. Who was that against? Yes, it was Manchester United at Old Trafford.


3: MOURINHO’S PREMIER LEAGUE FEAT
After Sunday’s impressive result at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho has now recorded at least one top-flight win against all 34 Premier League clubs he has faced as a manager in his career. Well played!

4: ‘TIRED’ IBRAHIMOVIC ON THE BENCH
That was the headline news before Sunday’s match when Mourinho opted to rest the tired 35-year-old striker, with this week’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Anderlecht in mind. Zlatan came off the bench on 83 minutes, but he will hopefully be rejuvenated for Thursday’s tie.

5: YOUNG NAMED CAPTAIN FOR FIRST TIME
With Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Chris Smalling all unavailable, many presumed the captaincy would go to Marouane Fellaini after his cameo as skipper at Sunderland. However, with Ashley Young fit and back in the team, Mourinho gave him the armband and the veteran led the team out for the first time in his career. He led by example, too, mustering an industrious, selfless display.

6: HOW HERRERA STOLE THE SHOW
Ander will have tired legs, too, following an inspirational performance against Antonio Conte’s Blues. He set up Marcus Rashford’s opener, scored the second goal and man-marked Eden Hazard out of the game, convincing fans on Twitter to vote him our official Man of the Match. It’s the first time he has scored and assisted since the 3-0 win at Everton last season, while you may also be interested to know he’s now tallied more league assists this season than in any previous campaign.

7: CARRICK CLIMBS APPEARANCE CHART
The 35-year-old hit that landmark as a second-half substitute for Jesse Lingard on 60 minutes. It means he is now 19th on the club’s list of all-time appearance-makers, having overtaken Jack Silcock.

8: TONY ADAMS MANAGING PEREIRA
The former Arsenal defender and England legend took charge of his first match as Granada manager on Sunday night, after the club's former boss Lucas Alcaraz was dismissed last weekend. He named United loanee Andreas Pereira in his first starting XI but could not avoid a disappointing 3-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo, the side who Mourinho's Reds could potentially face in the semi-finals of the Europa League.

9: ANDERLECHT NOTCH UP A WIN
The Belgian side warmed up for Thursday’s trip to Old Trafford with a very credible 1-0 away win at KV Oostende, where Algerian forward Sofiane Hanni scored the decisive goal. They are due to arrive in Manchester on Wednesday, ahead of a press conference and training session at Old Trafford.

10: YOUNG REDS OUT OF DALLAS CUP
United's Under-19s bowed out of the Dallas Cup after a draw with Coritiba was not enough to progress into the knockout stages. The young Reds then took part in a friendly against German side Eintracht Frankfurt, earning another draw in the US. They will return home to Manchester this week.