Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (McTominay 19′, 69′ | Palmer 45)
OLD TRAFFORD — This was Erik ten Hag’s I-told-you-so moment. Lost the Manchester United dressing room? Maybe it was only partially missing. The elements Ten Hag needed most were on the pitch, including Scott McTominay, who justified his manager’s faith with the goals that won a thrilling contest.
Chelsea were accommodating visitors, it must be said, Mauricio Pochettino’s erratic project heavily impacted by injuries and suspension. They were fortunate to recover from the early battering, and after rallying to a degree either side of half time, collapsed under the weight of United’s endeavour.
Ten Hag had accepted the criticism of Marcus Rashford and Antony Martial, dropping them to the bench. Bruno Fernandes swept an early shot over the bar. Rasmus Hojlund had Robert Sanchez at full stretch. Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw were prominent on the flanks.
It was an aggressive, urgent opening that earned its reward with a penalty via VAR. Chris Kavanagh missed the foot planted by Enzo Fernandez on the foot of Antony because it was an infringement that looked grim only in slow motion.
Fernandes might want to reconsider that hop, skip and a jump technique. On this occasion Sanchez guessed correctly and United’s big early moment had gone.
This is a team that had scored only 16 league goals before this match, half the number of the majority of top loaders above them. United could not have started any brighter, unrecognisable from the supine ensemble in retreat at Newcastle. You fancy if Erling Haaland wore red United would not be in quite the mess they are. A total of 18 shots rained on the Chelsea goal in the opening half, yielding just the one success.
Perhaps McTominay, who has a hint of Norse about him, is a distant relative of clan Haaland. It was McTominay who found the net, for the fifth time and sixth this season. Chelsea had twice denied his team-mates but when the ball fell to him he smashed his laces through it.
Chelsea were all over the place, much as they had been at Newcastle on their last road trip. United have struggled to find any kind of cohesion or shape but they had little trouble here. The Chelsea defence were in a constant state of acrobatic readiness, repeatedly throwing themselves full-length to keep the ball out.
So committed were United to attack the inevitable holes appeared. The best chances fell to Mykhailo Mudryk, who appears blighted by the yips in front of goal.
It was his pass that picked out Cole Palmer for Chelsea’s equaliser. Palmer’s slaloming run across the backline didn’t look lethal until it was, his shot snaking through defenders past the unsighted André Onana.
For a player reared in the Manchester City academy it appeared to salvage a joyous point, until McTominay headed home the winner.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/eD4mMNT
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