It has been a topsy-turvy week for Manchester United that involved sacking Erik ten Hag, hiring Ruben Amorim, and former player Ruud Van Nistelrooy took charge of the club until the November international break. While improvement can be seen in the squad, it’s clear that they also have work to do following a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at home on Sunday.
Bruno Fernandes’s penalty kick was canceled out by a tidy finish from Moises Caicedo. Neither team will be happy with the draw as Chelsea could’ve gone into the top four with a victory, but it does show improvement for the Red Devils, who looked more cohesive than in prior weeks. Amorim will need them to work on their finishing, only scoring one goal from an xG of 1.96, as Rasmus Hojlund struggled to get free in Chelsea’s box. Overall, drawing a top-half side is an improvement but this was a winnable match for each.
Next up is a return to European action with Manchester United facing PAOK in the Europa League while Chelsea will host FC Noah in the Europa Conference League.
Here are takeaways from the match:
Chelsea aren’t ready for Champions League
With a victory, the Blues could’ve gone as high as third in the league but familiar mistakes came back to bite them vs. Manchester United. Robert Sanchez’s challenge on Hojlund took a good defensive performance and turned it into a chance to drop points. The keeper has been good at shot-stopping but his decisions on corners and challenges have been costly at times like Sunday.
To get to where they want to be, Chelsea can’t afford to crumble in key moments like this. Enzo Maresca has done a good job of turning a tumultuous team around but there’s plenty of work to be done. Getting Reece James back to his favored position on the right side of the defense will help as will consistent playing time among the young squad. Chelsea are heading in the right direction but they need time. Unfortunately, with the race at the top of the table getting tighter than ever, it may not be on their side right now.
Striker issues continue
Manchester United needs to figure out what their best option at the nine is. While Hojlund did draw a penalty, he didn’t take a single shot during the match despite United taking 11. That, combined with Alejandro Garnacho taking ill-advised shots during the match, Amorim will need to work on attacking progression immediately. Joshua Zirkzee’s introduction into the match helped due to him being a more creative option but United need to figure out who they can turn to when a goal is needed.
Penalties won’t always be there for Fernandes and without set plays to boost their attack, all of United’s key options have been underperforming. That could improve as performances do level out but new tactics will be helpful.
Kobbie Mainoo is irreplaceable
The United midfield was static outside of Fernandes and one of the reasons for that is who wasn’t available for the match. Young Kobbie Mainoo may only be 19, but he’s become critical to the United attack at 19 years old. Mainoo looks to push the attack forward with his dribbling while also not being afraid to shoot. Alongside one of Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte, that will balance out United’s rotations but with only defensive midfielders, the wings haven’t been strong enough to create. Amorim favors a back three which is where the wide areas will be critical and matches like this one make you wonder what he’ll do before players like Mainoo and Luke Shaw are healthy.
