In a thrill-a-minute match at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea and Manchester United drew 2-2.
The Blues took the lead but couldn’t hold onto it as The Red Devils roared back to take the lead before conceding a huge equaliser with almost the last kick of the game. What did we learn?
1. Martial is so, so special
Anthony Martial has detractors and critics, people who think he’s lazy and unfocused. People who think that José Mourinho was right to be critical of the Frenchman. Those people are liars, or drunk. Anthony Martial is a truly special talent. A mercurial magician capable of decided matches in an instant, with a moment of majesty.
Well, two moments in this case.
Martial ran hard and fast all night long, playing on the left-wing. He received no help from Romelu Lukaku but still tried to hurt Chelsea. He got his chance in the second half when a cross from Ashley Young deflected off two people and fell right into Martial’s midriff. This was not an easy chance, but he made it look simple by bringing his leg up and lashing an equaliser in.
Not satisfied with that, Martial put United into the lead with just over 15 minutes left. Marcus Rashford fed the ball from right to left, finding Martial in space; the Frenchaman’s touch seemed heavy but he adjusted his body to smack the ball first-time around the Chelsea defence and off the post into the back of the net. A massive performance, and taking him off is what what brought United’s downfall.
2. Ashley Young: the momentum killer
Ashley Young is the most reliable defender in the Premier League when it comes to shackling a stupendous forward. No, that’s not a made-up sentence it’s a real thing that happens at least once a season. Seriously, stop laughing, it’s real.
Ashley Young, who once told Dele Alli to “come back when you’ve won the Prem” (still one of the best comebacks to a Spurs player ever), was tasked with playing right-back and man-marking Eden Hazard. The Belgian has been blisteringly good so far this season and Young got absolutely rinsed by Kenedy and Muto two weeks ago as Newcastle scored twice at Old Trafford.
Ashley Young, inexplicably, shut Eden Hazard down. There were a few moments of magic from Hazard, but you could literally count them on one hand. Hazard has tormented everyone this season, but Young was constantly getting the ball off him, preventing him from turning and causing damage. Hazard was, effectively, in Young’s back-pocket.
3. A tale of toothless strikers
Part of what made Chelsea’s lack of tempo control such a concern was the fact that they didn’t really look like they could put United away on the break. The Blues never looked like controlling the tempo of the match, so it was going to fall to Morata to kill United off on the break, something the Spaniard never once looked capable of actually doing.
Morata killed so many attacks with his softly, softly approach – and that must frustrate Chelsea so much. Meanwhile Manchester United competed well against Chelsea, yet they never really looked like threatening the Blues in attack. So many moves broke down once the ball reached Romelu Lukaku, whose touch was sloppy and moreover he looked to be short of pace.
With the exception of the opening day of the season when he, having just returned from holiday that week, came on for the last 23 minutes of the game; Romelu Lukaku has played every single second of football for Manchester United so far this season and it really, really shows. The Belgian was a non-event in the game that José Mourinho effectively threw the game away by leaving Lukaku on the field to lead their counter-attack. United were toothless once Martial and Rashford went off, and Chelsea’s equaliser was inevitable.
4. Magnificent Juan Mata
He’s not fast, he’s not strong, and he doesn’t have the greatest skills in the world; but my goodness Juan Mata is what is known in some circles as a proper footballer. It’s hard to explain just what it is that Juan Mata does but if you watch him, you know. And today you knew just what he brought to Manchester United.
Mata knitted everything together. He linked midfield and attack (but obviously with Lukaku’s underperformance there was little he could do) and his movement was stupendously intelligent. His involvement in both goals showed both his effort and his technique.
On the first goal his volley was delightful but the hustle to chase the loose ball down and cross it in was so crucial to the equaliser. And for the go-ahead goal he charged down the left, flicking the ball over Marcos Alonso with delightful poise and then working the ball in to Rashford for him to make the assist. It was a phenomenal pre-assist, and hopefully Mata will begin getting the credit he deserves.
5. The good and the bad of Paul Pogba
Chelsea took the lead 21 minutes into the game when Antonio Rudiger rose, completely unmarked, to thump a header into the back of the net. A superb strike, but why was he unmarked? Well, Paul Pogba was tasked with marking him, and the Frenchman was too busy talking to other players and lost the German seconds before the goal.
That was the bad.
With his side 1-0 down because of his own negligence, Pogba emerged in the second half at Stamford Bridge as man on a mission. He held his position and defended with discipline, and then when he had the ball we suddenly saw all the skill come to the fore.
Pogba was at the heart of United’s attacks, and his role in the equaliser – starting the move and nutmegging Jorginho to spread the play wide, was crucial. The Frenchman showed his World Cup winning form, imposing himself on the game in a way that all great playmakers do.
That was the good. And the kind of thing he has to do on a regular basis if he wants to play up to his enormous potential as one of the world’s greatest midfielders. The pieces are all there, Pogba just has to put them together.
The post Chelsea 2-2 Man Utd: five things learned as Young earns a high-profile scalp despite dramatic draw appeared first on Squawka News.
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