Manchester United travelled to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, hoping to continue where they left off before the International break. United came back from 0-2 down to win the game 3-2 against Newcastle United in a show of grit and determination, but Jose Mourinho knew only too well that Chelsea were a much tougher cup of tea. Maurizio Sarri’s men were unbeaten in all competitions so far, scoring goals galore and looking totally at home with Sarri-Ball. In the Premier League, they had won 6 of the 8 games, drawing the other 2.
The two sides had met 180 times in total, with the Blues winning 54 games and the Red Devils 49. Last Season, United had lost 1-0 at the Stamford Bridge but won 2-1 at Old Trafford. In the FA Cup Final in May, the Blues got the better of the Red Devils. This season, the two clubs were on entirely different paths ahead of the game. Manchester United were stuttering and stumbling under Jose Mourinho, while Chelsea had gone from strength to strength under Sarri. As such, the visit to Stamford Bridge came at a crucial time for both clubs.
United started with De Gea in goal, and Young, Lindelof, Smalling and Shaw in defence. Mourinho opted for a middle three of Pogba, Matic and Mata, whereas up front, Martial and Rashford partnered Lukaku. As expected United started the game in back foot and went behind from a poorly conceded goal from a corner. However, an Antony Martial brace in the second half meant that they were within touching distance of a victory, only for Ross Barkley to score in the 96th minute, recovering a vital point for Chelsea. Even though United let a victory slip through at the last moment, there were 5 positives from the game and we look at them here
#5 United held their own against high flying Chelsea
Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea have been flying high this season. They had scored 18 goals from 8 games, conceding just 5 and keeping 4 clean sheets prior to this game. They were averaging around 700 passes per game, with 88% passing accuracy and had the magnificent Jorginho orchestrating the midfield.
They also had Eden Hazard, who had already scored 7 goals in 8 games and was already looking like one of the best players in the world. United, in contrast, were going through a lean phase throughout the pitch and as such, were expected to be overwhelmed by the Sarri-ball.
However, United showed amazing resilience and steel, especially in the second half and played to their strengths. They managed to nullify the effect of Hazard and even Jorginho lacked the momentum during the majority of the 90 minutes. Manchester United held their own against high flying Chelsea in their backyard and considering the recent state of events, this has to be a big positive.
United were not overrun at Stamford Bridge, instead, they rallied on the counter and almost punished Chelsea. This should give the players a lot of confidence now.
#4 Rashford getting better
The right side of the front three has been United’s bane for a couple of seasons now. Lingard and Mata have been front-runners for that place of late, but Mourinho opted for Mata to be a part of the midfield three against Chelsea and decided to place his faith on young Marcus Rashford on the night.
And Rashford did not disappoint. While his final ball is still lacking at times, Rashford had a good game and tried to make use of the space left behind by the adventurous Alonso. A better decision making in the final third would still do him a world of good, as would better-crossing abilities, but the fact that Chelsea were wary of the young English striker was evident when Eden Hazard ran in to cover for Alonso, committed a foul and earned a yellow card in a bid to stop Rashford.
In the second half, Rashford got better and was instrumental in Martial’s second goal. He is slowly coming into his own and has been looking increasingly confident in a position that is still United’s weak point. With the confidence gained against Chelsea, Rashford could take his game a notch higher and stake the claim for a permanent starting spot on the right.
#3 Reviving the ability to come back in games
Manchester United were the comeback Kings of Europe under Sir Alex Ferguson. No one could write them off even in the last minute of the game, such was the ability of the teams under the management of the legendary Scott. It was something that instilled fear in the opposition and brought United astounding success.
Since the retirement of Sir Alex though, this ability had begun to catch dust. So when last weekend, United came back from 2-0 down to win the game against Newcastle, a lot of eyebrows were raised. It was rejected as a one-off performance against a lowly ranked team and this is what made the game against Chelsea extra special.
The Blues were already boasting of a deadly attack and a measly defense, and when United were 1-0 in the first half, it was expected that the floodgates were opened and United would leak in a few more until the end of the 90 minutes. However, the Red Devils proved all the doubters wrong and equalized through Anthony Martial in the second half.
The Frenchman then gave them the lead and the critics were almost made to eat their words, before Barkley brought them some breathing space. To come back from 0-1 down to lead 2-1 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this season is no mean feat.
For the second time in succession, United had come back from a losing position. It looks like they are regaining one of their most powerful attributes and this has to be a massive positive from the game.
#2 Mourinho did not park the bus
One of the most amusing aspects of Jose Mourinho’s management has been his inclination to set his team deep against top opposition and deny them space in the final third. This has been termed as “Parking the bus” in recent times, a phase that has gained massive popularity and has been an integral part of Mourinho’s tactics.
So when United visited Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, it was expected that Mourinho would set his team up to earn a vital away point. There were two reasons for this. First, Mourinho had his personal battle and would loathe losing against his former team. Second, United were in danger of being brushed away by the firepower of Chelsea. However, when the teams were announced, it was a surprise.
For starters, Mourinho had not opted for a three-man defence, like he did against Tottenham. Next, he had opted for Mata in the midfield, preferring Spanish artistry to Belgian bellow, a most “un-Mourinho-ish” behaviour. In the attack, he had preferred Anthony Martial, a Frenchman who is reluctant to defend, to the bullish Sanchez.
Mourinho had set his team up in an entirely different way than expected and it was a refreshing change. But the Portuguese did not stop at that, he rallied his troops to come back from a goal down, encouraged them to attack and almost snatched away a memorable win. Mourinho rattled Stamford Bridge with his change in tactics and his desire to play attacking football, and it has to been one of the highlights of the weekend.
#1 Anthony Martial's resurgence
A lot has been said of the French forward during the summer and at the start of the season. His relationship with his manager had been scrutinized to the core and there were a lot of speculations regarding his future. None of those could drown the fact that Anthony Martial is one of the hottest young talents in the world right now and the Frenchman has been displaying some glimpses of his abilities recently.
Last season, Martial scored 11 goals from 45 games, finding the back of the net 9 times in 30 Premier League games. This season, the start had not been pretty. Martial drew a blank in the first 4 games in the Premier League; however, he came out flying against Newcastle, opening his account for the new season.
Against Chelsea, Martial was clinical and showed his precision and accuracy and has now scored 3 goals in his last 2 games, taking his tally to 4 goals in 9 games in all competitions so far. Anthony Martial’s resurgence is the biggest positive from this weekend and the fact that Mourinho is keeping his faith on the French striker is great news for Manchester United.