By Glen Williams For Mailonline
Published: 11:59 GMT, 19 February 2019 | Updated: 11:59 GMT, 19 February 2019
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For two years, pundits and supporters were left exasperated by Paul Pogba. They cried out for him to grab games by the scruff of the neck and drag Manchester United to victory – his reputation, and his £89million price tag, warranted such high standards.
But Monday night's display against Chelsea was just the most recent example of a player who has blossomed into the maestro United believed they had reacquired from Juventus in the summer of 2016.
The midfielder was at his marauding best, shoving off challenges from the Chelsea midfield, spraying an array of intelligent and direct passes and providing a nagging threat to Kepa Arrizabalaga's goal.
Paul Pogba is blossoming under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Man United
His display against Chelsea on Monday was just the most recent example of his resurgence
His inch-perfect cross into Ander Herrera allowed United to go one up before the creator turned the finisher for the visitors' second when he buried Marcus Rashford's ball into the box to double the lead.
And what can be said now is that this performance at Stamford Bridge is certainly not a one-off. Since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the reins in December, Pogba has been reinvigorated in his more advanced role.
Cast your mind back to the start of the season and the ever-darkening cloud which appeared to loom over Pogba – more specifically his vexed relationship with Jose Mourinho.
Pogba was incensed by Mourinho's comments in the wake of France's World Cup triumph this summer, when the former United boss neglected to praise his player's contribution. The Frenchman then had a run-in with Mourinho in the wake of a 1-1 draw with Wolves, when he urged Mourinho to be more attacking following a series of vapid displays.
That led to a public dressing down in front of his team-mates in training the following Monday, when he was told he would never captain United again.
Pogba had a strained and vexed relationship with Jose Mourinho before Solskjaer took over
This training-ground bust-up followed a series of rows in their fractious relationship
Then came the straw which very nearly broke the camel's back when Sky