Page 4 - Chelsea 0-2 Manchester United: Hits and Flops

#2 Flop: Chelsea’s central defenders

Chelsea's defenders faltered at key intervals

Like United, Chelsea also played three central defenders, albeit their decision to do so was forced upon them by an unfortunate injury.

On a night when shots on target were few and far between, Chelsea’s central defenders faltered at crucial intervals that eventually led to Untied’s goals. Andreas Christensen, whom Martial beat in the air to score the first goal, had collided with the French striker a few minutes prior and received a bloody nose for his troubles.

His replacement at half time, Kurt Zouma, had a goal ruled out by VAR but was booked later on for a small fracas following a tackle he put in on Martial. The Blues’ most experienced defender, Antonio Rudiger, also lost an aerial battle that led to a goal, as the German was beaten to the ball by Maguire for United’s second.

Frank Lampard will be concerned about his side’s leaky defence, and a return for Fikayo Tomori seems to be on the cards.

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

#2 Flop: Chelsea’s central defenders