Manchester United gained a hard-fought point at Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening, with Jadon Sancho’s second-half opener earning Michael Carrick a draw in his Premier League bow as caretaker manager.
Chelsea were the dominant side for the entirety of the game but United’s tenacious attitude allowed them to have a say, a quality they have lacked in games against the bigger teams recently.
Liverpool and Manchester City imposed their dominance on United but the makeshift side, which featured three defensive midfielders, kept things ticking over in their defensive action.
United would have liked to leave Stamford Bridge with a win and arrest their run of domestic defeat but they will take plenty of positives with them into the next game against Arsenal. Stretty News takes a look at three things we learned from Sunday’s draw in London…
Scott McTominay silences doubters with a masterclass in the capital
The 24-year-old was at the heart of criticism after last week’s defeat to Watford but the Scotland international rose from the ashes to produce an immaculate performance against Chelsea.
McTominay was named the broadcaster’s ‘Man of the Match’ and fully deserved the honour. He stamped his authority on the game and despite being incorrectly booked late in the first half, he adapted following the interval to perfection.
Deployed in a three-man midfield, an irregular occurrence under Solskjaer, McTominay thrived as a ball-winner and disrupted Chelsea’s attacking moves.
Fred, another player who has withstood strong criticism, performed to an extremely high level. The Brazil international’s performance comes just days after he was heavily involved in both of United’s goals at Villarreal.
Read more: (Video) Roy Keane says Man Utd players threw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer under the bus
Jadon Sancho has arrived
It’s been a tough couple of months for Sancho. He arrived at the club with big expectations and almost immediately had preparations disrupted after suffering a serious ear infection.
The problem never kept him out of any match-day squad but clearly hampered his performances. Now, after starting three matches in a row, he has finally found his form.
He scored his first goal for the club against Villarreal and doubled his tally against Chelsea, which in truth, should’ve been the game-winner.
Michael Carrick leaves with his head held high
It’s very possible that today’s result is Carrick’s final game in charge of the side as caretaker manager, with reports over Ralf Rangnick’s imminent arrival intensifying.
Carrick assumed responsibility for the team with United in a precarious position on and off the field. With two games in the bank, he leaves the team with lifted spirits and a group of players ready to kick on under the new manager.
The season hasn’t developed into what we all wanted but an optimist would argue that the fundamentals are already in place for the next man.
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