Manchester United's Paul Pogba dominates Chelsea with sniped cross, header

Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Manchester United's Paul Pogba led the Red Devils over Chelsea at the FA Cup, assisting the first score and netting a header in a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

The Red Devils got both scores in the first half of the triumph Monday in London.

Pogba picked out Ander Herrera with a precise pass for United's first tally in the 31st minute. The star midfielder received the ball on the left flank. Pogba dipped inside with his dribble before smacking a right-footed cross toward the far post.

The pass curled in toward Herrera, who tracked it down about five yards from the goal. Herrera finished with a header into the near post netting, beating Kepa Arrizabalaga for first blood.

Pogba gave United some insurance just before the halftime whistle. Pogba sent a through ball to Marcus Rashford to the right corner flag during that sequence. Rashford tracked down the pass and fired a cross back to Pogba, who blasted another header past Arrizabalaga in the 45th minute.

"The performance was fantastic, the tactics worked," Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told reporters. "Obviously we asked Ander and Paul, our midfielders, next to Nemanja to go a bit higher up and get into the box more often, with Marcus and Romelu wider."

"So we worked [on it] and the defending in the second half, when we had to, was fantastic. Chris has been out two months and just played one game and he was brilliant."

United advanced to the FA quarterfinals with the victory. The Red Devils will face Wolves in the next round at 11 a.m. on March 16. United returns to Premier League play against Liverpool at 9:05 a.m. on Sunday at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.

The Blues face Malmo in the round of 32 at the Europa League at 3 p.m. on Thursday in London.