Leicester dumped by four-goal Manchester United

Manchester United got their title quest back on track with a resounding victory over Leicester City at Old Trafford.

Having lost back-to-back Premier League matches Jose Mourinho’s side responded by blowing Leicester away with four first-half goals from Chris Smalling, Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba.

Smalling, captain in place of the benched Wayne Rooney, headed in Daley Blind’s corner midway through the first half, and three goals in the final eight minutes of the half put the hosts out of sight.

Mata produced a sublime finish on 37 minutes after Jesse Lingard had laid off Pogba’s chipped pass, and two minutes later Rashford scored from close range, after Mata helped on Blind’s quickly-taken corner.

Pogba made it four on 42 minutes, heading another Blind corner past Ron-Robert Zieler and though Demarai Gray, on for Jamie Vardy, reduced the arrears on the hour there was no coming back for the defending champions.

Juan Mata agrees to reduced role at Manchester United

Juan Mata and Jose Mourinho have finally come to an agreement with regards to his role at Manchester United which should see the Spaniard stay at Old Trafford until at least January.

Speculation surrounding Mata's future has been at fever pitch since the day Mourinho was confirmed as Louis van Gaal's successor. He famously fell short of the Special One's requirements at Chelsea and was sold to United in January 2014 despite his status as a fan favourite.

And when he was substituted in the Community Shield tie against Leicester only 25 minutes after emerging from the bench, it was thought his short time as a Red Devil was coming to an end.

However, according to The Telegraph, Mata has agreed to stay part of the Manchester United squad even though it will mean less playing time. Mourinho has told him he has a part to play in his plans, but won't be the first choice in any of his favoured positions.

Although he started the first game of the season against Bournemouth and last Friday’s win over Southampton, it is believed that Henrikh Mkhitaryan will eventually become the starting right-winger. The Armenian arrived from Borussia Dortmund in a £26m deal this summer but is still settling into his new life in England and has been used sparingly.

Mata was booted out six months after Mourinho took charge of Chelsea and there is every chance the same thing could happen at United. The same report claims the squad will be reviewed when the January transfer window opens, in which Mata could decide to leave.

For instance, if the diminutive playmaker has played even less than he expects or gets a tempting offer from another European club, the door could be left open for him to sneak out.

It is a strange situation for Mata to find himself in. He is, after all, the fourth most expensive player in United's history and is eager to stay at the club, but that was the same at Chelsea too.

Although much has changed since Mourinho and Mata fell out at Stamford Bridge, it remains a fact that his wingers must help out defensively. That was where the Spain international fell short at Chelsea but he now has half a season to prove he has changed.

It is another significant blow for Ed Woodward in his efforts to trim down the spiraling wage bill. He has already had to forgo a transfer fee in his efforts to get rid of Bastian Schweinsteiger. The German is on a huge contract of over £200,000-a-week yet has been thrown out of the senior dressing room by Mourinho.

Mata is on £140,000-a-week himself and Mourinho's decision to keep him gives Woodward another headache.

Juan Mata's Blog: The Theatre of Dreams never disappoints

Hi everyone,

Once again I’m writing to you after a good week, when we have been working well to get another victory. Last Friday’s win was special, not only because we played on a Friday night, which is quite unusual when you are involved in a European competition, but also because it was the first official game in Old Trafford this season. As you can imagine, the atmosphere lived up to the expectations. Once again we could feel the support of the crowd; it is vital if we want to make of every game in Old Trafford a special day. It is also vital, in my opinion, to generate that ‘chemistry’ with our fans in order to make of our stadium a very tough place for the other teams.

We played a solid game against Southampton to get the second win out of two games in the Premiership. It’s still August and that means we are still working on a few adjustments. We know there’s still room for improvement. We are laying the foundations of the team for this season and, you know, those wins help us to create an optimistic atmosphere and make things go well. Last Friday we deserved the three points. The only bad news was my friend Oriol Romeu’s injury, luckily it’s nothing serious. It’s always a pleasure to see you again, Ori, you are a phenomenal player and one of the best persons I’ve ever met in the world of football.

We have a tough game ahead on Saturday at Hull City. It’s never easy and they are one of the four teams that have won the first two games this season. They are back in the Premier League this year and are having a surprising start. We will try to win and keep our good streak.

La Liga kicked off in Spain this weekend. Barcelona played an impressive game and defeated Betis with yet another great game from Messi. If he starts the season like this it’s not easy to foresee how far is he going to get. Real Madrid also won in Anoeta with two goals from Bale and one from Asensio (this guy is very talented). It was also the first week in the Second Division. Unfortunately, Real Oviedo lost in Valladolid but we all have hopes in this project. Michu has been the latest addition to the team and I’m really happy for the club but also for him, because he’s been very unlucky with injuries. I hope he can help the team go back to the First Division! Good luck, ‘crack’.

Lastly, I’d like to say something about the Olympic Games in Rio, that are now over. It’s been great to enjoy so many sports during these two weeks, I really love the Games. Congratulations to all the participants and specially to the Spanish medallists. They have made history again and have produced exciting and unforgettable moments. You guys are great! The effort and sacrifice of all the competitors is commendable. Aside from medals or diplomas, the feeling of being part of the Games is really worth it, I know that from my own experience! But the true champions have been the #TeamRefugees in their first Olympic Games. You are the true winners and deserve a big applause!

Have a nice week. Hugs,