Article #252161

As the second half began, a banner appeared in the Stretford End that read: “MUFC proudly colonised by immigrants”. If this was a riposte to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s assertion that these shores have been overrun by those from overseas (for which the co-owner half-heartedly ­apologised), Manchester United needed their own reply to a listless opening period that left them trailing to Maxence ­Lacroix’s early header.

Eleven ­minutes into the restart, they did.