Man Utd Mason Greenwood keeps good news week going

Mason Greenwood was the brightest spark as Manchester United beat Astana 1-0 in the Europa League.

It is a measure of the faith Manchester United have in Mason Greenwood that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer heaped pressure sky high on the youngster ahead of only his second start.

But a day after being labelled as one of the best finishers his manager had seen, the 17-year-old proved him right to kick off their European campaign with a win.

This was not a high quality performance from United but it was a match they dominated before and after Greenwood’s calm finish settled matters.

For a side finding scoring difficult, the emergence of a player who scored 30 in 29 appearances in youth teams last season, is good news.

This has been a good news week for Solskjaer and United with a win over Leicester at home followed by signatures of David de Gea and Victor Lindelof on long-term deals.

And the visit of FC Astana, hardly a powerhouse of European football, gave them every chance to keep the vibe flowing, giving Solskjaer a chance to offer a glimpse into the future by reaching into his reserves and youth sides and grabbing a handful to sprinkle around including the highly-regarded Greenwood.

It was no doubt a frustration to Solskjaer that most of United’s first half chances fell to others following his pre-match praise of Greenwood.