Towering Casemiro header denies Chelsea as Manchester United snatch point after late drama
Potter had already made a difference with his interventionist approach. United’s dominance was such that he made both a tactical change and a personnel swap after 35 minutes, removing Marc Cucurella. The Spaniard’s last three starts have been curtailed after 45, 61 and 35 minutes respectively, which presumably was not what Chelsea anticipated when they paid Potter’s Brighton £63 million for him.
Chelsea nonetheless improved after the switch to a 4-4-2 diamond, with the substitute Mateo Kovacic illustrating why he should have started and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang immediately rolling a shot just past the post. Ten Hag responded in kind, bolstering his midfield with Fred as Jadon Sancho, United’s most disappointing player made way. It made for a more even second half. Such was Fred’s brilliance against Tottenham that the omission of a United talisman could have referred to his dropping, not Ronaldo’s absence.
Chelsea’s Mason Mount (left) and Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez battle for the ball
Initially, it seemed they needed neither. Buoyed by their best performance under Ten Hag and perhaps their finest for years, United produced a second statement of intent. They ventured south with confidence and adventurousness. After 19 first-half shots against Tottenham, United had a further eight versus Chelsea.
They had the creativity of Bruno Fernandes and the class of Casemiro who, after arriving with a reputation for destructiveness, has proved a constructive presence. He proved capable of instigating attacks with passes and tackles alike.
Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling in action with Manchester United’s Luke Shaw
But they encountered an in-form goalkeeper as Arrizabalaga’s remarkable renaissance continues. The Spaniard tipped Antony’s curling shot past the post and pushed Fernandes’ second-half shot past the post.
He made a point-blank block to deny Marcus Rashford, following a defence-splitting pass by Fernandes, and then parried the striker’s driven effort.
For Rashford, it continued a trend from Wednesday. He has encountered resistance from in-form goalkeepers in his quest to bring up a century of United goals, with Arrizabalaga following Hugo Lloris.
Meanwhile, Antony angled a shot just wide after Fernandes opened up Chelsea for a second time with an incisive pass, a wayward finish with his right reviving concerns that United’s £85 million did not acquire them a two-footed player. But with Luke Shaw and Christian Eriksen also coming close, United posed a threat.
Recommended
Manchester United’s Casemiro celebrates scoring in stoppage time
But the damage to them extended beyond McTominay’s actions. United lost Raphael Varane, who limped off after stretching in a failed bid to stop Aubameyang; the Frenchman’s exit in tears may have been a sign of the pain or reflected his worries he will miss the World Cup. Varane is the third of the Real old boys at Old Trafford. For them, this game represented the good, the bad and the ugly.
Register for free to continue reading
Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism
By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists
{{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}
By clicking ‘Create my account’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.
Already have an account? sign in
By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.
Register for free to continue reading
Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism
By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists
{{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}
By clicking ‘Create my account’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.
Already have an account? sign in
By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.
Source: Read Full Article