It’s that most magical time of the year, as the yuletide song goes, and football certainly gave us a good dose of that old black stuff yesterday.

Manchester United reached the last 32 of the Europa League in convincing fashion last night, a competition which is taking on increasing importance for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in what has been a this frustrating ly average campaign.

After what United fans have been through this past six months, one doesn’t wish to sound ungrateful.

Of all the potential impacts of VAR on the Premier League, one surprise knock-on effect could be witnessed at Stamford Bridge yesterday, and twice at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Paul Pogba squandered the chance to send Manchester United to the top of the fledgling table as he missed yet another Premier League penalty.

Happy anniversary to us, dear reader. It’s 20 years to the week since this column began, and how very different the United world is today.

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer may well experience first-hand tonight the gulf in class that currently exists between his Manchester United side and their treble-chasing neighbours but, regardless of the result, the club’s new manager is already searingly honest in his appraisal of their standing in the English game.

I am writing this in southwestern rural France, an hour before the start of ‘Le Crunch’, as the French call their annual rugby highlight against the elderberry-smelling English hamsters.

The Reds put aside their recent anxieties as they lifted themselves three points above champions Manchester City with goals from Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Mohamed Salah.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s magical reign as Manchester United boss survived its biggest test to date at St James’ Park last night, his second- half substitute Romelu Lukaku scoring with his first touch of the game and helping to write his interim manager into the record books.

One of the earliest and most hard-earned lessons I learned in the playground as a young football neophyte was that there was no team called Manchester.

Young Boys 0 Manchester United 3

Jose Mourinho says he has never been happier with Paul Pogba as the Manchester United manager dismissed talk that tensions had come to a head this week.

It's back!

Daniel Storey on the weekend’s talking points...

Man Utd 1 Watford 0

Daniel Storey on the weekend’s big talking points...

Pep Guardiola has clearly won his private, and long-standing, feud with Jose Mourinho for this season at least but, to listen to beaten manager Carlos Carvalhal on Saturday, the all-conquering Catalan should make the most of his current dominance.

In the euphoric afterglow of the Liverpool victory, some of you may have been wondering about the seemingly anachronistic downbeat coda to last week’s column.

United have been knocked out of the Champions League.

When it came to memorable sights, United fans were spoiled for choice on Saturday at Huddersfield. 

Burnley 0 - Man United 1: Before Alexis Sanchez has even set foot on the hallowed Old Trafford turf, the Chile international forward appears to have had an impact on Manchester United and their bid to pose a long-term challenge to Manchester City.

Anthony Martial’s goal early in the second half proved enough to give Manchester United a battling 1-0 win at Burnley and close the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Man Utd 3 ... Stoke 0: Martin O’Neill may well be reflecting today that he has dodged a bullet by turning down Stoke City after the side he would have taken to Old Trafford last night were beaten 3-0 by a Paul Pogba-inspired Manchester United to leave them in serious relegation trouble.

Goalkeeper Sergio Romero will start for Manchester United against Derby.

Do you remember who said: “That five years as an electrician probably just grounded myself”?

Bristol City 2 Man United 1: Bristol City defender Joe Bryan believes self-confidence and belief carried them into the Carabao Cup semi-finals after last night’s dramatic 2-1 win over Manchester United at Ashton Gate.

Jose Mourinho is set to recall Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Manchester United’s Carabao Cup quarter-final at Championship side Bristol City tonight.

Man United 1 - Bournemouth 0: Romelu Lukaku ensured Manchester United returned to winning ways following the intense disappointment of the weekend derby defeat and all that went with it, but this was still a far from convincing showing from Jose Mourinho’s side.

Manchester United came from behind to beat CSKA Moscow and top their Champions League group as Jose Mourinho’s men took their unbeaten home run to a club record-equalling 40th match.

“They will have do a lot better than this at Watford and Arsenal,” I groaned last Monday, after Mourinho’s grisly week. I think it’s safe to say United achieved that, don’t you? Seven goals and six points harvested from two of the most purely enjoyable matches travelling Reds will have seen in yonks equals ‘job done’ in any book.

Ashley Young struck twice against former club Watford as Manchester United won a thrilling contest at Vicarage Road to close to within five points of leaders Manchester City.

Paul Pogba returned from injury to inspire Manchester United to a 4-1 win over Newcastle at Old Trafford.

On the morning of yesterday’s match, I had a heartening message from a Mourinhoan in Lisbon. “He is so incredibly desperate to beat them today. Apparently, he’s been urging all the players to have ‘no mercy’.”

Man United 2 Benfica 0: Manchester United fans are starting to understand properly now what it means to support a Jose Mourinho team so it should come as no real surprise to them that United beat Benfica with a lucky own goal and a penalty, that they look set to qualify comfortably for the last 16 of the Champions League after four wins from four, or that despite those facts it was all rather uninspiring.

Manchester United are on the brink of reaching the Champions League knock-out phase after teenage Benfica goalkeeper Mile Svilar unwittingly put Jose Mourinho's men on course for another narrow win.

Daniel Storey is our Monday morning quarterback

Manchester United bounced back from their Huddersfield horror show with a comfortable Carabao Cup victory at Swansea last night.

Sad-looking southerners shuffling about in dribs and drabs were everywhere in Manchester city centre on Saturday. They already looked beaten, and shrunk under the catcalls of locals. But enough of Conservatives attending their Party conference; how were the Super Eagles?

CSKA Moscow 1 Manchester United 2: Striker Romelu Lukaku continued his remarkable scoring run with two goals as Manchester United swept aside CSKA Moscow 4-1 in Russia.

The Red Devils established an early three-point lead at the top of Group A.

Jose Mourinho has been as impressed by Anthony Martial’s attitude as the Manchester United forward’s upturn in performances.