Zlatan Ibrahimovic helped himself to two goals in the first half at the Liberty Stadium as Manchester United won for only the second time in their last eight Premier League games.

The win, whilst heaping even further misery on Swansea, also lifted the pressure from the shoulders of United manager Jose Mourinho who watched the game from the stands due to a touchline ban.

And thankfully, for one day at least, it was all smiles as United had the game won by half time thanks to Ibrahimovic's brace and a wonder strike from Paul Pogba.

United started as they have in so many games this season, with a degree of hesitancy. They were clumsy in the midfield and lacked direction or accuracy in the final third.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Angel Rangel challenge for the ball (Getty)

Still, what stood in front of them was a Swansea team equally short on confidence. With only one league win this season, the club is sitting uncomfortably in the bottom three. And they played like a side destined for the drop.

Once United settled, they enjoyed a glut of possession with Pogba not only pulling the strings, but asking one or two serious questions of Bob Bradley's side.

The first of those came on 14 minutes. Pogba and Wayne Rooney created the danger and though Swansea appeared to have cleared their lines Pogba struck an unstoppable shot from 20 yards into the top corner of Lukasz Fabianski's goal.

Fellaini came within a yard of making it 2-0, two minutes later after a sublime piece of footwork from Ibrahimovic.

Swansea had no answer and as hard as Bob Bradley prompted from his technical area, the hosts were unable to make any impression.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates his first goal (Getty)

As the clock ticked on, so United threatened again and again. Swansea simply had no answer and it came as no surprise when Ibrahimovic lost his marked on the edge of the box and beat Fabianski with a form strike from 20 yards.

For the first time since their arrival at the top table, the home supporters turned on their side. United sensed their opportunity and duly set off in pursuit of a third. It came 12 minutes from the interval when Ibrahimovic popped up in acres and beat Fabianski from eight yards.

The Swansea fans responded with calls of 'we want our club back' and suggesting the decision to sell the club to the current American owners was all about greed.

It was little more than a training ground run out thereafter. United popped the ball around with increasingly ease and confidence and Swansea retreated towards their own goal in an attempt to limit the damage.

Captain Wayne Rooney made his return to the United side (Getty)

Having been booed from the field at half time, Swansea made two changes in personnel. Jefferson Montero and Modou Barrow entered the fray as Bradley sought a way back into a game that, to be honest, was out of their reach.

In fact had United have shown greater quality in the final third, before the break, they could have been four or five goals to the good.

By now, United were happy to go through the motions. They continued to pass the ball with ease and comfort and denied Swansea a foothold until the 69th minute.

Gylfi Sigurdsson whipped in a free kick from the right and van der Hoorn beat David De Gea with a firm header from eight yards. It was a decent finish and a goal that certainly lifted somke of the gloom around the Liberty Stadium.