Manchester United were booed off the pitch as Norwich earned a shock victory at Old Trafford, increasing the pressure on manager Louis van Gaal.<\/p>\n
Despite all of United’s possession, it was Norwich who took the lead in the first half through Cameron Jerome.<\/p>\n
It got worse for the home side in the second half as Jerome broke clear to feed Alex Tettey, who poked in.<\/p>\n
Anthony Martial pulled a goal back, but United’s winless run is now six games while Norwich are out of the drop zone.<\/p>\n
Juan Mata saw a free-kick from the edge of the area pushed away by Declan Rudd as the hosts went in search of the equaliser in the second half.<\/p>\n
Centre-back Chris Smalling could have earned a point late on, but headed narrowly wide as United dropped to fifth in the Premier League table.<\/p>\n
Many fans left the stadium early, but some stayed in their seats at the end of the match with a look of disbelief on their faces. The atmosphere was almost mutinous, with a loud show of resentment at both half-time and at the final whistle.<\/p>\n
On a day when former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho said he is looking to get back to management straight away, the weight of expectation was significantly ramped up on Dutchman van Gaal, whose job is now under increased scrutiny.<\/p>\n
The manager decided to maintain his passive style for the match – staying in his seat as assistant Ryan Giggs barked out instructions from the touchline – but could not inspire his side to even a point.<\/p>\n
This season’s theme of a lack of goals but plenty of possession continued in this game for United, despite Frenchman Martial’s first goal in nine Premier League games. It was only one of two shots on target they had. The Red Devils ended the game with a landslide 70% possession.<\/p>\n
Christmas just got a whole lot tougher<\/strong><\/p>\n Out of the top-four spots, United suffered their first home defeat of the season and their third defeat in a row.<\/p>\n The last time they went six without victory in all competitions was in 1998 – the season they went on to win the treble. That won’t happen this time, having been knocked out of the Champions League.<\/p>\n They now face a testing festive period which sees three games in the space of eight days, starting on Boxing Day at Stoke.<\/p>\n Will van Gaal be given the opportunity to turn the club’s form around after back-to-back losses to promoted sides?<\/p>\n Canaries cock-a-hoop<\/strong><\/p>\n The surprise scoreline allowed Norwich to climb out of the relegation zone, having won at the venue for the first time since 1989.<\/p>\n The Canaries were well organised, playing on the break and anything less than the victory would have been disappointing for them after they earned their two-goal advantage.<\/p>\n Wingers Robbie Brady and Nathan Redmond epitomised the side’s hard work, as Brady made four tackles, more than any other player. He also won back possession seven times – the same as team-mate Redmond.<\/p>\n Redmond’s desire led to the opener, as he collected the ball before playing in Jerome, who kept his cool to slot in from inside the area. The goalscorer turned provider in the second period, as Norway international Tettey surged forward to double the advantage.<\/p>\n Substitute Youssuf Mulumbu could even have managed a third late on, but his low strike was saved by David de Gea, as Norwich closed out the game for a famous victory. Manchester United were booed off the pitch as Norwich earned a shock victory at Old Trafford, increasing the pressure on manager Louis van Gaal. Despite all of United’s possession, it was Norwich who took the lead in the first half through Cameron Jerome. It got worse for the home side in the second half as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":175756,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[29,3,38],"yoast_head":"\n
\n–
\nBy:BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"