Manchester United’s Christmas crackers

Jesse Lingard vs Chelsea (February 7)

Five days after the Stoke win, United travelled to Chelsea in a bid to keep the pressure on the top four.

And when Jesse Lingard netted on the hour it looked like they were going to do just that. And what a goal it was!

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson fizzed a low ball into the box which Wayne Rooney failed to control, but the ball bobbled loose to Lingard who, with his back to goal, took the ball down, and fired home the volley on the turn.

It wasn’t enough to secure the win for van Gaal’s side though, as Diego Costa equalised late on, but it was a special piece of skill from Lingard, and easily one of United’s best goals this year.