Four things we learned as Man United defeat Chelsea in crunch clash
Four things we learned as Man United defeat Chelsea in crunch clash Manchester United took a massive step towards securing Champions League football after putting rivals Chelsea to the sword at Stamford Bridge this evening. A drab match devoid of quality was ultimately decided by a superb goal from Matheus Cunha , laid on a plate by the talismanic Bruno Fernandes. Michael Carrick was forced to field a makeshift backline, with four of his senior centre-backs ruled out of the crunch clash for a top five place.
But United came through the test unscathed, gifting themselves a 10-point cushion over the Blues in sixth. Here are the four things we learned as the 44-year-old coach remains on course to be handed the reins at Old Trafford permanently. Mazraoui the Master Noussair Mazraoui was the full-back handed the responsibility of playing in the unfamiliar centre-back role alongside Ayden Heaven, who was making his first start under Carrick.
And while the Morocco international struggled at times with Chelsea’s aerial bombardment, he ultimately showed why United executives consider him one of the club’s best signings in years. Comfortable in possession, smart and strong in equal measure when challenging for the ball, and a leader alongside his 19-year-old partner, it was a great performance in testing circumstances for Mazraoui. It marks the ninth position the 28-year-old has been deployed in since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2024 – a testament to a footballing education in Ajax’s esteemed academy.
Master of all trades; full-back is just one. Faltering Frontline There is a growing sense last summer’s big-money trio, comprised of match-winner Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko , are an uncomfortable fit as a forward line. Both Cunha and Mbeumo operate at their best when inverting inside to run at, or behind, the defence.
However, this is a similar area to where Sesko wants to occupy, with the 6’5 Slovenian also begging for whipped balls into the box from a pair of wingers more concerned with driving into the box themselves. It’s little surprise each attacker’s best moments of link-up play came with Fernandes, a player capable of turning Stevie Wonder into a lethal marksman, rather than each other. Given United are intent on investing the bulk of the summer budget into midfield, the frontline will have to start developing better chemistry moving forward.
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