Manchester United vs Swansea match report: Wayne Rooney's superb backheel goal earns Louis van Gaal's side win

Manchester United 2 Swansea City 1

For once, Louis van Gaal left that confounded black file of his on the dug-out seat and leapt up into the rain to convey some unbridled emotion. Such was the significance of an opening goal in this stadium, from which the home contingent could at last depart with the novelty of a victory last night. It was only their second here in the Premier League since September.

The goal was not, by any means, the end of things. Only after the final effort of the match – a header, inches wide by the advancing Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski – could Manchester United reflect on their first win in nine games. But Anthony Martial’s finish, taken with the contributions of Ashley Young, who supplied it, and Wayne Rooney, who delivered a second, puts distance between them and that crisis which left Van Gaal looking such a desperate soul behind the scenes at Stoke, eight days ago.

Rooney’s goal, intricately navigated in with his heel after Martial had taken the ball to the by-line and cut it in, takes him ahead of Denis Law to a tally of 238 for this club, with only Sir Bobby Charlton and his 249 ahead of him now.

Anthony Martial heads to open the scoring against Swansea (Getty Images)

It capped an all-round Rooney contribution which arguably surpassed anyone’s for United. Suggesting that fact on social media last night provoked a volley of criticism. The case for Rooney as man of the match is debatable. Martial was certainly the trigger point for the side and Young impressed, too. But that sneering reaction underlined the ambiguity of sentiments, where he is concerned.

That the outcome should have been uncertain for so long against a Swansea side who had offered very little until their equaliser proves that United’s top four aspirations should kept in perspective. The idea that they are all defence and no attack is a very generous interpretation of their back line. The problem is that the defence struggles when United are ambitious, as they had to become after a sterile first half.

After the interval, there was nothing else for it but to play a high attacking line – a “risky” strategy as the manager described it – and problems accrued when United’s opening goal triggered more ambition in the visiting team.

Alan Curtis might be the Swansea caretaker manager but he is not allowing the grass to grow under his feet. He left Jonjo Shelvey back in South Wales on the basis of his poor display in the goalless draw at Crystal Palace on Monday and his second half shift from a diamond to 4-2-3-1 demonstrated his capacity to affect games.

Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson celebrates his goal

So did his introduction of Gambian Modou Barrow, who has had two starts this season but who terrorised United before delivering the cross from which Gylfi Sigurdsson equalised, under minimal pressure from Morgan Schneiderlin. By then, Andre Ayew had struck the post and Angel Rangel had perhaps deserved a penalty, rather than a booking, when falling under Matteo Darmian’s challenge. Fortunately for Van Gaal, United had enough collective determination to re-establish their lead, only eight minutes after losing out. Rooney’s finish was quite some response from an individual dropped for the first time by this manager on Boxing Day. “You cannot imagine what a goal is that,” said Van Gaal, who is not inclined to offer glowing personal tributes.

Swansea drove on yet again. Ashley Williams’s drive forced a fine save from David de Gea in injury time and then Fabianski advanced to play his part, having been ordered by Curtis to stay in his goal for an earlier Swansea corner. Van Gaal was asked if he saw this as the first win of many. “You cannot predict that. Only it shall raise the confidence and lower the pressure,” he said, which was as honest as such assessments come.

Manchester Utd: (3-2-4-1) De Gea; Jones (Darmian, h-t) Smalling, Blind; Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger; Young (McNair, 77), Herrera (Carrick, 90), Mata, Martial; Rooney.

Swansea: (4-3-3) Fabianski; Rangel, Williams, Fernandez, Taylor; Britton (Barrow, 82), Ki, Cork; Routledge (Montero, 82), Sigurdsson, Ayew (Gomis, 82).

Referee: Jonathan Moss

Man of the match: Rooney (Manchester Utd)

Match rating: 7/10