Juan Mata scored for Manchester United in an effort to squash his beef with Jose Mourinho.
With Jose Mourinho at the helm, Manchester United have their best manager since Alex Ferguson. Even though the Premier League field is close this season, United made a statement in the transfer window by acquiring Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Paul Pogba.
However, their first goal from Mourinho’s Manchester United came from the unlikeliest of candidates in Juan Mata:
"Juan Mata puts @ManUtd on top! #PLonNBC https://t.co/nqMTpngJCK— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) August 14, 2016"
Of course, the reason Mata is playing for Manchester United is because Mourinho outright refused to play him at Chelsea, then subsequently sold him directly to a Premier League rival. As such, he might have been the only Manchester United player who wasn’t excited by Mourinho’s arrival, but with this goal, he’s doing his best to impress his new (old) manager.
Next: Premier League season preview: Manchester United
Plenty of Manchester United managers have tried to strengthen the midfield through transfers, but all they succeeded in was making the middle of the pitch crowded. The addition of Paul Pogba does little to fix that, but he is their best signing of the post-Ferguson era, and a player who could potentially become the face of the franchise.
However, because of an infraction he committed in the Coppa Italia, they have to make do without him against Bournemouth. That’s why Mata’s goal is an important one, as it displays their tremendous squad depth.
The key to a successful season is a good relationship between the players and manager. While Mata and Mourinho haven’t always seen eye to eye, here’s hoping that this goal is the beginning of something amicable between the two.