Manchester United 4-0 Chelsea: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis

Manchester United thumped Chelsea 4-0 to race off the Premier League blocks at Old Trafford on Sunday. Though the visitors were unlucky to lose by such a huge margin, the Red Devils turned in an accomplished display, sending their fans into a frenzy.

The Blues started the game excellently and rattled the woodwork early. However, a poor bit of defending by Kurt Zouma offered United the chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot. Marcus Rashford made no mistake and arrowed the spot kick into the top corner in the 18th minute.

Anthony Martial doubled the hosts’ lead in the 65th minute after getting on the end of Andreas Pereira’s cross. A couple of minutes later, Rashford tripled the Red Devils’ advantage with a cool finish.

However, Chelsea’s afternoon got worse in the 85th minute when substitute Daniel James racked up his first goal for United.

Here is a look at the five talking points from the game:

#5 Manchester United’s pressing leaves Chelsea gasping for air

Solskjaer's pressing tactics worked a charm

Ever since his appointment as Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has professed to preach an exciting brand of football. Though the above didn’t materialise as often towards the back end of the 2018-19 season, the Norwegian got the Red Devils dancing to his tunes during the 2019 pre-season. And, a vital component of that effervescent style of football has been an intense high-pressing tactic.

On Sunday, Chelsea put out an attacking line-up, suggesting that they wished to trade punches with the hosts. However, with United pressing effectively, the Blues’ ploy of playing expansive football caused the away side a few problems.

In the formative stages of the first half, the home side imposed itself on the game by pressing Chelsea relentlessly in the latter’s defensive third. The strategy forced Zouma to give the ball away on numerous occasions and that laid the platform for United to build their offensive movements.

Additionally, they pinched the ball in midfield several times and quickly transitioned into attack, meaning that they caught the visitors’ defence off-guard. And eventually, they scored their goals in the second half through that medium.

The current decade has seen the Red Devils shunt from managers embracing different philosophies in a bid to zero in on an identity that synchronises with the rich history of the club. Ironically though, the club has kept searching for the trait it has craved most, in major part due to their impatience with managers.

However, with Solskjaer assured of his job, at least for now, United might start getting recognised for its high-pressing team. And, one reckons that is a significant upgrade after the moans and groans from the terraces at Old Trafford last season.

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#4 Kurt Zouma endures a torrid return

When the 2019 off-season dawned, several Chelsea fans looked at the summer transfer window in trepidation. The Blues were set to undergo a summer where there would be no signings and one where there existed a possibility of them being depleted further.

Inevitably, the West London outfit called upon their enormous pool of players, players who had been shipped out on loan, just a season ago. And, Kurt Zouma, the strapping French centre-back, was thrown straight into the mix at Old Trafford and he looked rather shaky in a dire first half defensive display.

The Frenchman started his first away game for the Blues since the 12th of May, 2017 and his performance smacked of rust and quite a bit of nerves. The defender endured a terrible start to the game as he misplaced a pass from inside his own penalty box and handed Martial a chance to put the hosts ahead. Though the forward fluffed his lines, the seeds for a patchy showing had been laid.

Thereafter, with Chelsea in the ascendancy, Zouma contrived to stick his leg out and commit a clumsy foul on Rashford, bringing the latter down in the box and according the referee a chance to point to the spot. In contrast to Martial, the Englishman took his opportunity with aplomb and smashed the ball home to open the scoring.

To compound his woes, he got caught out in the middle third and then mistimed his challenge on Pereira, thereby playing himself into the book.

Moreover, the Frenchman looked quite unconvincing on the ball and the Red Devils targeted him with their high-pressing tactics.

Over the years, Zouma has been looked upon as a bright talent and his previous performances for Chelsea have surely lent weight to that argument. Yet, when the Blues required their centre-back to rise to the occasion on Sunday, he let himself and his team down massively.

#3 Manchester United take their chances, Chelsea don’t

Manchester United clinically took their chances

The game at Old Trafford ebbed and flowed beautifully through the first half. The visitors started on the front foot and carved out numerous openings. The likes of Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham looked sharp and their off the ball movements were a sight to behold at times. However, the Blues lacked the killer instinct in the final third, allowing United to grow into the game.

In the first half alone, the away side wasted quite a few promising opportunities with the aforementioned Abraham and Mount guilty of spurning those. Additionally, Ross Barkley looked indecisive going forward and always seemed to take a touch too many. Pedro, meanwhile, couldn’t conjure the end product one usually associates with him, meaning that the Blues trailed at half-time, despite battering the hosts for a major chunk of the period.

United, on the other hand, were clinical whenever accorded chances in front of goal. Rashford set the ball rolling with a brilliant penalty while Anthony Martial popped up in the right place at the right time to prod over Andreas Pereira’s cross.

Rashford notched his second of the evening after his run dovetailed superbly with Paul Pogba’s clipped through ball, with the former showing exemplary composure to dispatch the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

To pile further misery on Chelsea, Daniel James got on the score-sheet courtesy a deflected shot in the 81st minute.

Thus, the match, like a game of football so often does, was decided by the cutting edge both teams showcased in the offensive third. While the Blues did everything but score, the hosts grabbed whatever came their way with both hands.

#2 Manchester United’s youthful exuberance trumps Chelsea’s youngsters

Rashford and Martial were the stars of the show

Throughout the 2019 summer break, Manchester United and Chelsea were touted as teams being in transition. The former was embarking on its first complete Premier League escapade under Solskjaer whereas the latter had turned to Frank Lampard, in an attempt to stabilise a creaking boat.

Both managers though, were relatively quiet in the transfer window. While the Englishman was forced to do so, the Norwegian decided to entrust the players at his disposal with the club’s massive rebuilding project. Thus, the naming of several youngsters in both playing elevens on Sunday wasn’t exactly a surprise.

Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford were asked to spearhead the hosts’ attack and were supported by Pereira and Scott McTominay. In defence, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka made their debuts while Daniel James and Mason Greenwood too got a piece of the action.

Most of the Red Devils’ youngsters came to the part and that enabled them to stick four past Chelsea. Lingard, McTominay and Pereira were a bundle of energy throughout with James, Martial and Rashford applying the finishing touches.

In contrast, a few of Chelsea’s youngsters failed to live up to their billing and turned in average displays.

Andreas Christensen and Zouma looked out of their depth in defence and Emerson’s positioning was also found out. In attack, though Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount sparkled intermittently, they failed to combine those facets when opportunities presented itself.

However, positively for Chelsea, the 4-0 score-line flattered the hosts a touch. The visitors seemed sharp in the first half and highlighted that there was plenty of potential to be harnessed among their ranks.

And, while they would have liked to start on a winning note, the Blues’ performance certainly showed enough promise for the season ahead.

#1 A dream start for Solskjaer at the Theatre of Dreams

Solskjaer couldn't have hoped for a better start

A lot has been made about Manchester United’s inability to scale the heights they did so regularly last decade. Several fans and pundits have been quite critical of the club’s footballing activity, ranging from their displays on the pitch to their transfers off it.

However, when the 2019-20 season dawned, the Old Trafford faithful looked at the road ahead with a sense of optimism, a feeling that hadn’t engulfed the red half of Manchester since a certain Jose Mourinho had arrived, initially.

Thus, Solskjaer, in addition to tactically outwitting fellow managers, also had to live up to a million Mancunian hopes. And, he helped himself emphatically by getting the better of Chelsea 4-0.

Though United were not at their best throughout the game, they ensured that they came to life when the visitors were most vulnerable. At those junctures, the Red Devils dealt the Blues a few body blows and the latter never really recovered.

At the moment, it would be a stretch to say that United indeed look the finished article, capable of getting into the top four. Yet, courtesy the victory, the feel-good factor is back at Old Trafford and that seems to be a perfect point to start, especially after the doom and gloom that had surrounded the place through 2018.

And, fittingly, the Norwegian, who himself lived many a footballing dream at the Theatre of Dreams, has now been accorded the ideal launching pad to indulge in a few managerial ones.

Edited by Kingshuk Kusari