Man Utd boss Solskjaer salutes 'physical monster' McTominay after quick-fire Leeds double

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has heaped praise on midfielder Scott McTominay, who made Premier League history on Sunday with his quick-fire double against Leeds United.

The Scotland international became the first player in the league's history to score twice in the first three minutes of a match, getting United off to a perfect start at Old Trafford. 

McTominay's brace put United on their way to a 6-2 victory, as Bruno Fernandes also scored a pair of goals while Victor Lindelof and Daniel James got on the scoresheet as well. 

Solskjaer was happy with the way his team started against Leeds, saving particular praise for the man who gave his side an early two-goal advantage.

"We've been criticised for our starts but the boys were prepared," Solskjaer told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We've approached the game really well. We've looked at videos and looked at ways to exploit them but also ways to stop them hurting you. It was a great start.

"Scott used to be a striker as a kid – he is a physical monster. He can win in the air, he wins tackles, but he's so strong and he's quick as well. He just ran into the space that we hoped he would get and it was good work by the other players to create the space and good finishes.

"I have to stop Scott from doing that sometimes – he is an attacking midfielder by nature. But when he sees space in front of him, why stop him? But he's great at shielding his back four."

Solskjaer was also happy to see James get on the scoresheet in a rare start, marking the Welshman's first league goal since he scored against Southampton in August 2019.

"The goal will give Dan James a lot of confidence too," the Norwegian added "He's been biding his time, been patient, been working hard and he's still as fit as a fiddle and I was very, very pleased for him."

United moved into third place with the win and sit just five points behind first-place Liverpool with a game in hand over Jurgen Klopp's men. The Red Devils boss, though, was quick to stress how many games remain this season, dismissing any talk of mounting a challenge for the title. 

"It's 13 games into the season – we're a work in a progress," he added. "We're getting better, we're getting fitter and stronger but there's still a few details to nail and let's talk about the title later on."