Smalling wants to maintain winning start

Chris Smalling is happy with Manchester United’s winning start to the season and wants the 100 per cent record to continue when Newcastle United visit this weekend. The defender again impressed in Tuesday’s 3-1 Champions League play-off, first-leg victory over Club Brugge, finishing second in the Man-of-the-Match voting behind the inevitable winner, two-goal Memphis Depay. After three wins from three to open 2015/16, the Reds’ next assignment is against the Magpies at Old Trafford, where Louis van Gaal’s men will kick off the round of Barclays Premier League fixtures for the third consecutive week. “We must continue our good start,” Smalling declared on MUTV. “It is another home game and we have to assert ourselves early on. “It is good that we again get to be in the first game that plays and, hopefully, set the benchmark for the weekend.” Smalling partnered Daley Blind at centre-back in a defence that largely contained Brugge, whose fortunate goal came via two deflections. The central defenders and full-backs Matteo Darmian and Luke Shaw have played every minute of all three games so far and Smalling believes it is paying dividends. The 25-year-old said: “Last season, there were that many changes, it was hard to get a good run – even though I still don’t think we conceded that many goals in the second half of the season. “But that togetherness and that work ethic is showing on the pitch now because we are not letting that many chances in.” On Darmian, who continues to shine, Smalling added: “He is terrific; in any one-v-one situation he backs himself and he gets forward as well with some useful crosses.” source-MUFC