Manchester United vs. Swansea: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Manchester United recorded their first win in nine games as a sublime finish from Wayne Rooney saw them defeat visitors Swansea City by a 2-1 scoreline at Old Trafford.
Captain Rooney grabbed the winner in the 77th minute, the forward cleverly flicking home Anthony Martial's low cross to put the Red Devils ahead for a second time.
After a drab first 45 minutes, Martial had given the hosts the lead when he headed home Ashley Young's cross from the right.
However, Swansea—who had triumphed 2-1 in Van Gaal's first match in charge of Manchester United at the start of the 2014-15 season—hit back through Gylfi Sigurdsson after 70 minutes.
The Iceland international managed to get on the end of substitute Modou Barrow's cross, allowing him to loop a header up and over goalkeeper David De Gea.
Rooney restored Manchester United's lead with an improvised finish, though the hosts had to survive a few late scares to hang on for the three points.
Here, Bleacher Report picks out the winners and losers from the Premier League fixture.
Winner: Louis van Gaal
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Despite it raining during the match in Manchester, Louis van Gaal's outlook appeared a little brighter at the final whistle.
The Manchester United manager had come under intense pressure during the club's worse run of form since January 1990.
But, after a 0-0 draw at home against Chelsea on December 28, the Red Devils returned to winning ways to ease the scrutiny on their boss—for now, at least.
Daniel Taylor of the Guardian said of the under-fire Dutchman after the 2-1 triumph: "His new system here took some working out, veering from 3-4-2-1 to 3-1-3-3 and back again, and it is no wonder sometimes if even his own players look puzzled themselves. The football was leaden in the first half and, once again, there were times when an impatient crowd struggled to contain their frustrations."
Van Gaal—who cleverly deployed Ashley Young further forward on the right to provide width—can only hope the victory is a sign of things to come, rather than a temporary reprieve.
Loser: Phil Jones
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Restored to the starting XI after beginning the 0-0 draw with Chelsea on the bench, Phil Jones only managed to last 45 minutes for Manchester United.
Jones was paired alongside fellow England international Chris Smalling at the heart of the home side's defence.
However, he had to be replaced at half-time by full-back Matteo Darmian, resulting in a reshuffle of Manchester United's back line.
Per Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News, Van Gaal confirmed Jones had suffered a recurrence of an ankle injury that had previously sidelined him during the first half of the season: "(Phil Jones) is injured. It's more or less the same injury he had last time."
Winner: Anthony Martial
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Anthony Martial not only found the net for Manchester United, but he also set up their winner. Per OptaJean on Twitter, it was the first time he had scored and assisted a goal in a single Premier League game.
The Frenchman broke the deadlock after 47 minutes when his powerful header from Ashley Young's cross found the back of the net.
He had two further attempts at goal that were fitting for a Christmas bloopers DVD, including one long-range shot with his right foot that went out for a throw on the opposite side of the field.
However, Martial also produced a wonderful run to set up Rooney's winner. He burst past one defender to reach the byline before sending in a low cross that his team-mate tucked away in style.
Loser: Matteo Darmian
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Having been dropped from the starting XI, Matteo Darmian was sent on at half-time to replace the injured Phil Jones.
Lining up on the left side of a back three, the summer signing from Torino was given a grilling by Swansea City substitute Modou Barrow before manager Louis van Gaal switched Darmian across to the right.
The Italy international—who has been linked with a January switch to Juventus by Tony Harper of Fox Sports—gifted Barrow too much space to get in the cross that led to the visitors equalising through Gylfi Sigurdsson's looping header.
Winner: Wayne Rooney
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Wayne Rooney's fancy finish not only secured three points for Manchester United, it also put him into outright ownership of second place on two goalscoring lists.
The England international's left-footed flick beyond Lukasz Fabianski was his 188th goal in the Premier League. Per Squawka Football on Twitter, only Alan Shearer (260) has managed more.
According to ESPN Stats and Info on Twitter: "Wayne Rooney has also passed Denis Law for 2nd-leading scorer in Man United history (all comps)—238 goals, behind Bobby Charlton (249)."
More importantly for Manchester United, his first league goal since October 2015 secured a much-needed victory that lifts the Red Devils up to fifth place in the table.
Loser: Lukasz Fabianski
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Swansea City goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski had kept back-to-back clean sheets ahead of his side's trip to Old Trafford.
The Poland international was unable to do much with either of Manchester United's goals—but he very nearly got one himself at the other end of the field.
Sent up for an injury-time corner, Fabianski suggested he was wasted with the gloves on when he climbed high to get his head on the set piece. However, his powerful header ended up going just wide of the post.
Sam Wallace, chief football writer for the Telegraph, wrote in his match report: "A goal from a goalkeeper would have been exactly the kind of farce that United have become entangled in too often in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson years, but on this occasion, they escaped."
Fabianski is not listed as a loser because of how he performed in goal, but he did miss out on becoming an unlikely goalscorer who could have possibly cost Louis van Gaal his job at Manchester United.
