Manchester United 2 Swansea 1 player ratings: Wayne Rooney scores but who impressed for Louis van Gaal's side?

The club captain notched with a brilliant backheel finish

Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Rooney congratulate each other after the narrow win for the home side (Getty Images)

Wayne Rooney returned to the scoresheet and Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United got back to winning ways with a narrow but much-needed win against Swansea City.

It looked as though the Old Trafford crowd may be frustrated again, after a goalless first-half in which the home side’s initial momentum faded.

The best chance of the opening 45 minutes fell to Juan Mata, who shot weakly after his first effort was blocked by Lukasz Fabianski.

It said a lot about United’s attacking play that their best outlet was Ashley Young, playing as a make-shift right-back.

Soon after the second-half had begun, he carried on from where he’d left off by sending a brilliant cross out to the far post, which was emphatically headed home by Anthony Martial.

The home side rallied, having taken the lead in a league game for the first time since mid-November, but it was the visitors who struck next.

Gylfi Sigurdsson stooped low to meet Modou Barrow’s cross and head over the top of David De Gea , who had little hope in rescuing the ball before it dropped into the far corner.

Swansea, managed by caretaker Alan Curtis, looked as though they would extend their unbeaten run to four games as they pushed for an unlikely winner.

They were to be disappointed. Instead, the three points were sealed by the boot of Rooney, specifically, his heel.

The club captain, much derided this year but improved of late, brilliantly turned Martial’s driven cross into the net with a flick of his left foot.

From there, the home side were comfortable and went on to pick up their first win in seven Premier League games.

Click through the gallery below to find out how we rated each Manchester United and Swansea City player…

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