Jose Mourinho named an unchanged starting XI from the side that eased past West Ham for the trip to south Wales. United were looking to continue their impressive start to the new Premier League campaign and came up against a well organised Swansea side, who were searching for their first win of the season.
Both teams hit the bar within the first 10 minutes. First, Jordan Ayew powered past the United defence on the left flank and and nearly caught out David De Gea with a near post cross. The ball skimmed the crossbar and the United goalkeeper was saved from an embarrassing moment early on. Minutes later, Juan Mata delivered a free-kick that Phil Jones climbed highest for and glanced a header past Fabianski, but the ball came back off the crossbar and Swansea scrambled the ball away.
Paul Pogba was living dangerously in the early stages, the midfielder picked up a yellow card after a late challenge on Tom Caroll and brought down Martin Olsson minutes later sparking a reaction from the Swansea crowd. Referee Jon Moss had a chat with the Frenchman but did not brandish a second yellow.
Swansea had their best chance of the half from a corner. Kyle Bartley rose highest to meet the delivery but directed his header just wide of the post.
Marcus Rashford had an opportunity to open the scoring when he intercepted a headed back pass from Alfie Mawson. The striker was one-on-one with Lukasz Fabianski and tried to chip the ball but the Swansea goalkeeper easily read the strike and caught comfortably.
The deadlock was broken just before half-time when a dangerous corner was whipped into the Swansea penalty area. Pogba powered a header towards goal which Fabianski brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar, but it rebounded out for Eric Bailly to tap in.
Swansea upped the tempo at the beginning of the second half and had a big chance to equalise on 61 minutes. Caroll made a good run down the left and delivered a cross for Tammy Abraham. Bailly and Jones were nowhere to be seen, but Abraham couldn’t direct his header on target.
United finished the game with a late flurry, scoring 3 goals in four minutes. The first came on 80 minutes when substitute Anthony Martial broke through the Swansea defence and found Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who then played a lovely pass into the feet of Romelu Lukaku. United’s record signing made no mistake with the finish and powered the ball over the onrushing Fabianski and into the net.
Mkhitaryan was involved again in the second, on 82 minutes, when he played a delighful ball for Pogba, who followed Lukaku’s lead and expertly lifted the ball over the Swansea goalkeeper.
Pogba then went on to tee up Martial for the third goal on 84 minutes. The substitute drove into the Swansea box and finished past Fabianski into the bottom corner.
United’s ruthless finish to the game will please Mourinho, whose side has now won two games in a row. Paul Clement would have been happy with his team’s first half performance but will know the Red Devils were the better side and deserved to win the game.