Bournemouth 1 Man United 3: Jose Mourinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic get off to a flying start with thumping win

JOSE MOURINHO got his Manchester United career off to a flying start, as goals from Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic handed the Special One the simplest of three points.

Shock-inclusion Mata got the game's first goal as a double-blunder from Cherries defender Simon Francis gifted the Spaniard the simplest of finishes.

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First of all, the right-back's back-pass was woefully under-hit, before he then rebounded the ball off goalkeeper Artur Boruc giving Mata the simple task of tapping the ball into an empty net.

And United were two up early in the second half after Rooney nodded home from a scuffed Anthony Martial volley, with the England man left completely unmarked in the middle of the box.

Moments later, Ibrahimovic proved his class with a stunning solo strike, picking the ball up 40 yards out, driving to the edge of the box and rifling low to Boruc's right.

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However, with the game looking to be a done deal, a well-worked move from Eddie Howe's men resulted in a fine goal for substitute Adam Smith, who rifled home into the top right to pull one back.

FACTS, STATS, GOALS & LOLS

• JUAN MATA does have a second chance under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. After the Portuguese flogged him at Chelsea and embarrassed him at Wembley in the Community Shield in the ‘subbed-on subbed-off’ saga, the magical little Spaniard started United's Premier League curtain raiser ahead of stars like Memphis, Michael Carrick and Henrikh Mkhitaryan and he was on hand to score the opener.
• EDDIE HOWE'S Bournemouth are going to run themselves into the ground again this season. The Cherries boss was full of praise for his men returning from their well-earned summer holiday in such good condition and they proved their fitness by covering miles in the baking South Coast sun. Their consolation goal was the least they deserved. They will not be fearing relegation on this showing.
• WAYNE ROONEY has a license to thrill – but can’t find his keys. With Ibrahimovic leading the line and Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera patrolling the midfield, Rooney had the freedom to probe that in-between zone. But the England skipper is clearly struggling for confidence and was dispossessed easily on too many occasions. Even his first clear chance on 27 minutes was scuffed into Artur Boruc’s hands. And his goal was a fluke that bobbled into his path from an Anthony Martial shot.

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• THE Special One has upped his game in the dug-out fashion stakes. The usually razor-sharp boss had his usual conservative suit on but chose to finish the look off with a trainer-desert boot hybrid. The white-soled sneakers stood out like sore thumbs. Perhaps the pressure of a younger, trendier boss turning up at the noisy neighbours has got him thinking on his feet?
• ERIC BAILLY is not here to make friends. The United centre-back looks almost upset he is not at war with the likes of Alan Shearer and Duncan Ferguson from the Premier League’s golden era of old-school strikers. Nippy Callum Wilson never offered the giant the sort of attritional contest he looks desperate for - then again a brick wall might struggle to match him for resilience.
• EDDIE HOWE must be considered for the England job after Sam Allardyce doesn’t win the 2018 World Cup – despite this unflattering scoreline. The tracksuited tactician has all the classic traditions of a seasoned British manager but he’s still young enough to be your cool older brother. The way he set his side out, and the unwavering belief his modest team have in his system, make him perfect for the Three Lions role, where over-achievement with limited players is demanded.

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• ANTHONY MARTIAL appears to be the only United player not suffering from a Louis van Gaal hangover. The rest of the team are ponderous with the ball and hell-bent on meaningless possession and drawn-out build-up play. Only the Frenchman, deployed down the left flank, showed any pace and endeavour. If he is let off the leech under Mourinho he could be one of the league’s most exciting player, because he is certainly Manchester United’s only exciting player. He even got an assist, although it was a skewed shot.
• UNITED'S opener was a gift from the cruel gods of football that Mata greedily accepted. Bournemouth centre-back Simon Francis had kept Ibrahimovic quite all half, only for a terribly blunder to rob him temporarily of his dignity and permanently of his clean sheet. It’s worrying for United that they are on the beg for such charity so early in the season. But they all count and Mourinho has got off to a winning start. And United’s easily pleased fans can sleep soundly for another week.

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• PAUL POGBA better be every penny as good as his £109million price tag would have you believe. With Fellaini and Ander Herrera looking idea-free and Rooney lost in the twilight of midfield and attack, the Frenchman will walk into the team as the main man.
• TAKE your eyes off Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a second and you will regret it. After 60 slow minutes he sparked into life. A rasping free-kick was beaten away brilliantly by Boruc. But moments later he was celebrating the goal of the game. In a seemingly unthreatening part of the pitch he ghosted into the game, scared off his markers and smashed home a brilliant strike before saluting the adoring travelling fans who got their money’s worth – eventually.

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STAT ATTACK - PREMIER LEAGUE DEBUT WATCH

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BIG PICTURE

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