Manchester United has picked up another three Premier League points, following their defeat over Cardiff City. This was a welcome reprieve from the recent losses that the Red Devils have experienced at the hands of Tottenham, Swansea and Chelsea. The 2-0 victory has probably given many supporters, including Tunde Folawiyo hope that United might still win the title.

Juan Mata, the Red Devil’s newest midfielder, made his debut at the match. Whilst he missed out on two scoring opportunities, his quick-footedness and ability to support the efforts of other players on the team, resulted in him receiving a standing ovation from United’s fans as he left the pitch at the end of the game.  Mata and Van Persie were undoubtedly the stars of the show, with the latter providing the Red Devils with the lead just six minutes in.

Van Persie’s first attempt to score was saved by David Marshall; undeterred by this failure, he continued to attack and netted a goal a few minutes later. The move which led to this early success was initiated by Mata; after several seconds of passing between the Spaniard, Patrice Evra and Ashley Young, the ball was shot over to Antonio Valencia, who then accidentally headed it into the bar. However, Van Persie was quick to react to this error, taking control of the ball and kicking it into the net.

After the interval, Young doubled United’s advantage, by executing a perfect kick from 25 yards. This second goal seemed to spur Cardiff on, and for the rest of the match, they managed to retain possession of the ball. However, United’s defence was strong, and their opponents were unable to convert.

Whilst the Red Devil’s will still struggle to win the league trophy, the victory probably came as quite a relief to fans such as Tunde Folawiyo, given the team’s less-than-perfect results as of late. Speaking to the press after the match, Moyes seemed pleased, stating that he was much more optimistic about the team’s chances of winning the title now. He noted that their impressive performance during the game was largely due to the presence of players such as Mata, who just joined the club, and Van Persie, who has been absent for several months due to his injuries. However, Moyes was quick to add that he doesn’t want the results of this match to go to the players’ heads, and that they have a lot of work to do if they want to win the title.