BIG GAME REVIEW : MANCHESTER UNITED VS CHELSEA!

DID MANCHESTER UNITED DO ENOUGH TO WIN? DID SOLSKJAER GOT HIS TEAM SELECTION WRONG?

This was one of those games where we should have won easily, Chelsea came for a point and got their point. Solskjaer definitely had the previous home game on his mind, where we lost both of the games by an aggregate score of 2-9. Losing this game might have put Solskjaer again under scrutiny, despite that result against PSG. He set up a team to not lose, James and Mata were as effective as they were in the Newcastle game. It was the perfect opportunity to build on that win against PSG, well a draw isn't the end of the world but it feels like we dropped two points. The only highlight from the game was the penalty, YES! it was a penalty. 

Starting 11 wasn't good but the bench was much stronger than the actual lineup. Solskjær and Lampard are playing a game of chess; neither of them wants an open game. The difference is that Lampard wants to attack with positional play whilst Solskjær prefers to draw that in and counter. Mata would have been effective against a low block team, Dan James was horrendous his decision making was atrocious. McTominay and Fred were given a place in the lineup due to their industries they would provide. Ole got the starting lineup wrong, but he got this substitute right. When Pogba and Cavani came on we looked much different, Cavani nearly scored with his first touch.

It still seems like he looks a little rusty, this was his first game in 7-8 months and still was effective. He was making those runs, Both of Cavani's shots came from him running in front of his defender. That movement is something we miss especially with crosses as Martial isn't used to that. Non the less the signs were promising.

Fred and Wan-Bissaka were good tonight. Fred was the central piece in the team as everything was going through him, and he did a good job on the ball. Fred has become much calmer on the ball, he was marked tightly by Kante - one of the best baller winners in Europe, he dealt with that comfortably. Wan-Bissaka was good defensively, his decision making on the final third let him down today.

When Bruno was double-teamed down the left he told Shaw to overlap him and Shaw refused. The LB never has authority in that situation. Shaw has a tendency to first think about himself defensively rather than the team offensively. Telles will much better option than Shaw. He can cross better, and his attacking game is well above Shaw's. He isn't that bad defensively, his attacking quality outshines his defensive work.

FT Stats: MUN 0-0 CHE

Goals: 0 – 0

xGoals: 0.68 – 0.21

Shots (OT): 14 (4) – 6 (1)

Chances: 12 – 3

Possession: 50.5% – 49.5%

Territory: 58.1% – 41.9%

Total Touches

779 – MUN

762 – CHE

Opponent's Half Touches

395 – MUN (50.7%)

273 – CHE (35.8%)

Final Third Touches

215 – MUN (27.6%)

146 – CHE (19.2%)

Penalty Box Touches

19 – MUN (2.42%)

11 – CHE (1.44%)

We were definitely the better team as the game progressed. But I don't think we did enough to win. Ultimately, this was a boring game. Both teams didn't want to lose whilst we were willing to attack more as the game wore out. Nevertheless, a draw seems the fairest result.

GK: De Gea – 6 RB: AWB – 6.5 CB: Lindelöf – 7.5 CB: Maguire – 6.5    LB: Shaw – 6 CM: McTominay – 6 CM: Fred – 7 RM: Mata – 5 AM: Fernandes – 6.5 LM: James – 5 ST: Rashford – 6 Cavani – 6.5 Pogba – 6 Greenwood –5

MAN OF THE MATCH - Lindelöf