Man United 5-2 Ipswich Match Report & Player Ratings

Manchester United 5-2 Ipswich Town: United respond with impressive comeback win

Manchester United responded to their disappointing defeat against Hull City with a 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town, coming from behind before producing an unbelievable second-half performance to take all three points.

United still showed some of the problems that were evident against Hull, particularly defensively, but this was a completely different attacking performance from Michael Carrick's side, with 33 shots and five goals showing the attacking spark that had been missing in the opening game.

Bruno Fernandes was at the centre of everything, scoring his third Manchester United hat-trick and becoming a key influence on the game after a slightly shaky opening half an hour.

Once Fernandes scored his first goal, he became increasingly influential and looked much more like the Bruno that United supporters have become accustomed to seeing over the years.

Fernandes and Mainoo transform United's midfield

One of the biggest differences from the defeat against Hull was where Fernandes was able to influence the game. He had been playing too deep in the opening fixture, whereas against Ipswich he was able to operate in the attacking areas where he is at his most dangerous.

Kobbie Mainoo also gave the midfield something that had been missing against Hull. The partnership of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos struggled in the opening game, with both still new to United, but Mainoo provided more control and gave Carrick's side a spark through the middle.

Diogo Dalot also went somewhat under the radar despite having an important influence down the right-hand side. He was composed on the ball, competed well in his duels and regularly made positive runs while looking to deliver into the Ipswich box.

Marcus Rashford was handed a start after being left out against Hull and produced a solid performance. He didn't score or completely take over the game, but his movement and creativity added something to United's attacking play.

United finally find their attacking spark

Matheus Cunha also looked much more comfortable with players around him, particularly with Fernandes operating higher up the pitch, Rashford starting and Bryan Mbeumo becoming far more involved.

Mbeumo was arguably United's biggest attacking threat outside of Fernandes, creating numerous opportunities and hitting the bar before eventually getting the goal his performance deserved.

United finishing with 33 shots demonstrated just how different this attacking display was compared with the Hull defeat. It was their highest number of attempts in a Premier League match since recording 38 against Burnley in 2016, although that game remarkably finished 0-0.

This time, United actually made their attacking dominance count with five goals, which will be particularly encouraging considering goalscoring has been an issue for the club for several years.

Defensive problems remain despite emphatic victory

Despite the attacking improvement, there were still defensive issues that Carrick will want to address. Ipswich were given too much space for their opening goal, while Lisandro Martinez made an error in the build-up to the visitors' second.

The second goal did arrive deep into added time with United already leading 5-1, so it is understandable that concentration levels may have dropped slightly, but better opposition could punish similar mistakes more severely.

Senne Lammens quietly produced another good performance and made several important saves before United completely took control of the contest.

There was also controversy surrounding United's second goal after Harry Maguire appeared to accidentally handle the ball before his effort deflected off Jacob Greaves for an own goal. VAR allowed the goal to stand, with the ball ultimately going in off the Ipswich defender.

This was much closer to the Manchester United Carrick will want to see this season. Fernandes influenced attacks, Mainoo controlled the midfield, Rashford returned to the starting side, Cunha looked more comfortable and Mbeumo found the net.

There are still defensive issues to address, but after the disappointment against Hull, a 5-2 victory built on 33 attempts represented the attacking response United needed.

Manchester United player ratings

Senne Lammens – 7

Diogo Dalot – 7

Harry Maguire – 7

Lisandro Martinez – 5.5

Luke Shaw – 6

Matheus Cunha – 6.5

Youri Tielemans – 6.5

Kobbie Mainoo – 7

Bruno Fernandes – 10

Marcus Rashford – 6.5

Bryan Mbeumo – 7.5

Substitutes: Noussair Mazraoui – 6, Patrick Dorgu – 6.5, Leny Yoro – 6, Andrey Santos – 6, Benjamin Sesko – 5.5