Page 3 - Chelsea 0-2 Manchester United: Hits and Flops

#3 Hit: Manchester United’s central defenders

United's back line put on a commanding defensive display

Reverting to a 3-5-2 seems to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s preferred tactic when United come up against a so-called “big” team and the Norwegian’s decision to deploy three at the back in this tie paid off big time. The Red Devils set up with Eric Bailly and Luke Shaw either side of Harry Maguire, with Wan-Bissaka and Williams pushing up in the wing-back role.

Bailly, who was making his first league appearance of the season, seemed like he had never been gone, putting in one of his trademark all-action performances, capped off by a brilliant sliding tackle to deny Mateo Kovacic late on.

On the other side of the back three, Shaw seems to have reinvented himself as the left-sided center back in a back three, displaying astute defensive positioning skills and snuffing out several potential dangerous opportunities. In the middle, Maguire was calm and authoratative, marshaling Batshuayi well and even popping up with a great offensive header.

About the author

Vaibhav is a European and international football journalist who writes post-match articles for Sportskeeda. A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, he boasts a total experience of 6 years and has worked for reputed websites such as Times Internet and Men's Health India.

Vaibhav's journey as a football fan began after he was left impressed by the fast-paced action and the gripping storylines of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He admires Kaka's elegance and determination, while his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson due to the Scotsman's decision-making, vision and man-management abilities. He is also a passionate Manchester United supporter, and believes that Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland could create a historic rivalry similar to the Ronaldo-Messi one.

Vaibhav always cross-checks his information from a number of trustworthy websites and relies on his creative writing skills to produce compelling content. His exploits in journalism have led him to interviewing Indian footballers Robin Singh and Eugeneson Lyngdoh in his career so far.

Vaibhav’s favorite FIFA World Cup moment is Andres Iniesta's tribute to Daniel Jarque in the final of the 2010 edition. When not writing, he likes to read murder mysteries and watch stand-up comedy.

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Edited by Alan John

Chelsea 0-2 Manchester United: Hits and Flops | Premier League 2019-20

#3 Hit: Manchester United’s central defenders