Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba scored late goals as Manchester United came from behind to beat Middlesbrough in the Premier League. Midfielder Grant Leadbitter had given Boro a shock lead, drilling home a low finish from Alvaro Negredo's knock down. Up until then, United had dominated a match in which Pogba struck the post with an overhead kick and Martial hit the same upright with a long-range strike. Zlatan Ibrahimovic also had a goal harshly ruled out for a high boot on ex-United goalkeeper Victor Valdes, while the Spaniard twice blocked the United striker's shots from close range in the second half. With time running out for the Red Devils, Frenchman Martial poked in on 85 minutes and fellow countryman Pogba headed into the top corner from Juan Mata's cross a minute later.
It was the sort of grandstand finish that became a trademark under the reign of the club's legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who watched on from the stands on his 75th birthday. "I am happy we gave him happiness today," United manager Jose Mourinho told BBC Sport. "And I am happy people remember his times and how we played under him." The left graphic shows how United had much of the play in the final third of the pitch, while the graphic on the right shows how far deep Middlesbrough were camped in their own half. Having been frustrated following wave after wave of attacks, it looked like United were going to be left without a point when they fell behind at home to Boro.
Mourinho's men had forced Valdes into 10 saves - which highlighted their dominance - and it looked like being a clean sheet for the keeper on his return to Old Trafford. But United's 65% possession was worthwhile in the end as Martial and Pogba scored within one minute and 26 seconds of each other to spark jubilant scenes from both the home players and supporters at the final whistle. The world's most expensive player Pogba danced in the middle of the pitch, while boss Mourinho hugged counterpart Aitor Karanka in consolation. The Red Devils are now unbeaten in their last 10 league games - winning all five in December - and are just one point adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal.
Former Paris St-Germain striker Ibrahimovic has had an excellent start to his United career, scoring 12 goals in his first 18 league games. But failure to find the net against Boro meant he ended the calendar year on 50 goals, one fewer than Europe's leading marksman Lionel Messi. He should have been level with the Barcelona man's haul but had an opportunistic first-half effort ruled out by referee Lee Mason. Although his boot was high, it was not in close proximity to the Middlesbrough keeper. BBC Sport pundit Trevor Sinclair described it as "poor" from the official on Final Score, while Hull defender Alex Bruce said it was "a baffling and ridiculous decision" on the same show. Karanka seemed to have set his team up perfectly and they were on the verge of a smash-and-grab victory before the points were snatched away from them in the last five minutes.
Skipper Leadbitter's goal was their first on target, but their inability to hold on to a lead has been their biggest problem this season. Boro have now lost 12 points from winning positions this season and would only be a place behind their opponents in the table if they had held on on those occasions. They have also lost four of their last five games and are just four points above the relegation zone. Further concern will be the lack of goals on their return to the top flight, with their 17 strikes the worst of any team in the division. With two minutes to go, Adam Forshaw hit a speculative effort from outside the area as they looked to claim a point, but it did not trouble goalkeeper David de Gea.
Man of the match goes to Paul Pogba (Manchester United). Brought to the club to produce big moments, Pogba delivered for Manchester United. His 71 passes in the opposition half was more than any other player. Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho told BBC Sport: "It's a very good feeling, as I was expecting I don't feel the same happiness because my brother is on the other side. "Aitor Karanka did his job amazing away but my 'brother' is sad so I'm sad. "My players were phenomenal. We managed to do something I love - bring the fans to the pitch. The last 15 minutes were 70,000 on the pitch against 11." Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka told BBC Sport: "When you lose it is difficult. We have to take the good things. "When you come here and play against Manchester United and you are winning 1-0, every team has to play at their best to beat us. "I thought we could have had at least have a point." Manchester United will aim to continue their winning run when they travel to West Ham on Monday (kick-off 17:15 GMT), while Middlesbrough host champions Leicester on the same day (12:30 GMT).
