Thirty-nine minutes into Manchester United’s opening home game of the new Premier League season, it looked like lightning could strike twice for Michael Carrick’s team.The Red Devils began the campaign last weekend with a 2–0 defeat away to Hull City. On Sunday, another newly promoted team, Ipswich Town, took the lead at Old Trafford.Bruno Fernandes had United level by halftime, after which it was a completely different match. Four more unanswered goals—including three in the space of only 12 second-half minutes—had them 5–1 up, before Ipswich added a late consolation goal to the scoreline. The game finished 5–2. For much of the time United were at full pelt, torrential rain fell from the sky.There was a Fernandes hat-trick and Bryan Mbeumo got off the mark for the season. And even though a helpful rulebook ‘loophole’ allowed the go-ahead second goal to stand after an accidental handball from Harry Maguire, there is a sense that United awakened here.Everton away next weekend will be an important test of that.First-Half Creativity Mysteriously LackingMan Utd took time to get going. | Dan Mullan/Getty ImagesBy halftime, Ipswich had outperformed United in xG (0.74 vs. 0.98), had more shots on target (4 vs. 6) and created more big chances (1 vs. 3).Given the personnel on the field, those numbers were surprising. A front three of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Marcus Rashford, fed by a midfield of Kobbie Mainoo, Youri Tielemans and Bruno Fernandes is extremely strong on paper by any Premier League standard.Ipswich didn’t arrive at Old Trafford with the intention of setting up in a rigid low block—if anything, Gary O’Neil’s team took the game to United. So, it wasn’t exactly a case of there being no space in which to play. That much was evident in Fernandes’s first-half goal, when one Ipswich mistake suddenly handed the Red Devils a three-on-one breakaway.So the fact United didn’t create that much, relying on an error to equalize, was just a bit weird. Obviously, that all changed and the second-half xG of 3.82 speaks for itself. Who Else But Fernandes Leads FIightbackFernandes converted from the penalty spot. | Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty ImagesFresh from collecting last season’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year award—completing the treble alongside the comparable FWA and Premier League prizes—Fernandes showed exactly why he is still the best player in the division right now.The United captain led the charge that began late in the first half and accelerated spectacularly once the teams had returned to the pitch from halftime.He took the equalizing goal with incredible conviction, striking the ball cleanly on his weaker left foot under pressure from a defender. He showed no sign of wavering when striking the ball from the penalty spot to score the killer third and completed a hat-trick with the fourth. The latter highlighted his positional awareness, intelligence and anticipation to be in the right place at the right time when Mbeumo’s shot was blocked en-route to goal.There was a first assist on the season, too, setting up Mbeumo for the fifth. At the height of United’s frenetic tempo early in the second half, he almost replicated David Beckham’s iconic halfway-line goal, 30 years on, narrowly missing the target.No Doubt About RashfordMarcus Rashford is going to be a regular starter. | Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty ImagesTenuous transfer speculation will persist until the summer window shuts, but at this point it’s pretty clear that Rashford is fully reintegrated into the Manchester United squad.Rashford came off the bench against Hull and made a positive difference in the final stages, even if he didn’t directly alter the scoreline. Here, he started and the signs are that Carrick intends to use him regularly. Ultimately, the 28-year-old is the best left winger at the club and his return actually negated a prior need to dip into the transfer market.Rashford had the joint most touches in the opposition penalty area (7) in the match and would have had an assist to his name had Mbeumo not somehow managed to steer a volleyed cross onto the bar from virtually underneath it—one of those bizarre chances easier to score than miss.Left Back for ThoughtLeif Davis (middle) scored for Ipswich. | Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty ImagesThis was game two of seven in a four-week burst to start the new season. United’s next five matches will span three competitions, including the Champions League and Carabao Cup.Left back is the only position identified as an obvious need coming into the summer that is yet to be addressed. Luke Shaw, who played all 38 Premier League games last season, doesn’t have much natural cover now that Patrick Dorgu is routinely being used as a winger. Given there are now so many more matches on the schedule, it can’t really continue like that.At some point, Shaw, who has a long history of injuries, will need to rest. The choice for the club is whether to pursue someone to provide short-term cover and support, or ultimately be the 31-year-old long-term replacement. Interest in Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall definitely ticked the latter box, but going down the former route isn’t necessarily a bad idea either.United faced one such option here: Leif Davis, who would not be used as a regular starter, but rather as an occasional relief option against weaker opposition. The Ipswich left back scored his team’s goal, demonstrating an ability to get forward. He crosses well and is known for his set-piece ability, as well as offering pace, recording the top speed of anyone on the pitch in this match.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow