Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata netted two goals each for United, who piled yet more relegation woe on the Canaries at Old Trafford. Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand paired up in defence for the hosts, with Danny Welbeck starting in attack. Mata was on the bench, with Adnan Januzaj and Marouane Fellaini left out entirely. For the away side, Gary Hooper was among the substitutes despite scoring against Liverpool last weekend.
United started on the front foot, with Antonio Valencia prominent on the right flank. Norwich almost grabbed a shock opener, however, Jonny Howson seeing his effort chalked off for a foul in the area. United’s first chance fell to Welbeck, whose powerful effort was palmed away by John Ruddy at his near post. The England striker would continue to threaten, however, and played a crucial role in the opener.
