Premier League: United Flatten Chelsea and Qualify for the Champions League!

Manchester United played host to London side Chelsea FC in the penultimate match of the Premier League season earlier today at Old Trafford. United and manager Erik ten Hag knew they needed just one point from this match in order to finish in the top-4 and qualify for the Champions League next season. Contrarily, Chelsea and interim manager Frank Lampard came into the match with very little to play for. It has been an absolutely dismal season by their illustrious standards, as they find themselves in the bottom of half of the table and floundering in 12th place. Lampard fielded an exceptionally young side for this match, probably in an attempt to get some of the younger players experienced going into next year. Given that United have been nearly unbeatable at the Theatre of Dreams this season, most expected the Red Devils to get the result needed and seal the last available CL spot.

The first half was an odd one, but nevertheless overall positive for United. They got the first goal just 6 minutes in, thanks to a well-placed header from midfielder Casemiro. United won a free kick on the left wing, which was played into the box by fellow midfielder Christian Eriksen. No one was near Casemiro when he got his head to it, and after a quick VAR check for offside the goal was permitted to stand. Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had no chance. It wasn’t a technically complicated goal, just poor marking by the Chelsea defense and a good quality ball over the top by Eriksen. Casemiro has now scored in consecutive matches, while also rediscovering some of his magnificent form in his role as a defensive midfielder from earlier in the season.

Chelsea dominated the next 30-35 minutes after that though. They created a litany of chances, but I have to sit back and laugh at their comically poor finishing during this period of the match. Several players missed gilt-edged chances, including winger Mykhailo Mudryk and striker Kai Havertz. Chelsea were doing extremely well to get the ball forward and at getting it into dangerous areas, but they really should have finished some of their chances. They were doing everything right in terms of opening up the United defense, but they couldn’t hit the back of the net to save their lives! This period of play was a microcosm of Chelsea’s awful season: good play in the build-up and chance creation, but atrocious finishing. There was another concern for United when winger Antony dos Santos went down injured after a fairly innocuous-looking challenge, and he was stretchered off and replaced by striker Marcus Rashford. Well wishes to Antony on a speedy recovery.

The Blues’ misery was further compounded however deep in first half stoppage time. Casemiro brought the ball forward and played a sensational no-look, chipped pass out to his right and into the feet of winger Jadon Sancho. Sancho was in a bit of space and looked like he might shoot, but he wisely played it across to the unmarked striker Anthony Martial who tapped in for 2-0 with Kepa stranded. An excellent passing move that was truly against the run of play! Well done to Casemiro and Martial, but special credit to Sancho for making the right decision. He has consistently had struggles with making the right decision at the right time this season, as he usually dawdles on the ball and the chance goes begging. This time though he got it exactly right! 2-0 United at half time, with Chelsea likely demoralized given their opportunities to score.

The second half was much more dominant from United. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes went close first, striking the angle of the crossbar/post after center back Victor Lindelof did well to win the ball high up the pitch. Chelsea were not strong on the ball, but they did well to keep United from scoring again for about 30 minutes or so. However, United did get the decisive 3rd goal on 73 minutes from the penalty spot. Bruno was dancing on the left side of the penalty box, and he beat Chelsea right back Wesley Fofana with a nutmeg. Fofana then stuck a leg out though and tripped Bruno, and of course Bruno went down as if he’d been shot. Referee Stuart Atwell pointed to the spot, and there wasn’t much complaining from the Chelsea players. Bruno stepped up and sent Kepa the wrong way with a low finish to his right. 3-0, and United were now confidently on their way to the top-4!

They weren’t finished however! Just 5 minutes later, Fofana played a ball across his own box that was wayward, and it allowed Bruno to pounce on the ball. He crossed it back towards Rashford in the center of the area, and his touch took it past the last Chelsea defender. Kepa did well to stick out his left leg and save the initial shot, but the rebound fell straight to Rashford. He took it around Kepa with ease and had a tap-in from about a yard out. 4-0! Utter domination in the second half and a thorough beat down of a (usually) competitive rival. A special shoutout to Rashford on scoring his 30th goal in all competitions this season! He is the first United player with a 30 goal season since Robin Van Persie exactly ten years ago.

Chelsea got a consolation goal on 89 minutes from forward João Félix after a fine run and finish which ruined keeper David De Gea’s clean sheet, but it was nothing more than a consolation. This was United’s day through and through. Realistically they could have have had 5 or 6 goals today. Substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho struck the crossbar late on, and substitute midfielder Scott McTominay had a close-range effort saved by Kepa in stoppage time. Atwell blew his whistle shortly after that and United were through to the Champions League next season!

United also moved into 3rd place for the time being, two points ahead of 4th placed Newcastle. There is still one match to play for all teams on Sunday, but the heavy lifting has now been done. 5th-placed Liverpool can no longer mathematically catch them, and the Scousers can look forward to spending their Thursday nights playing in the Europa League next season. It would be nice if United beat Fulham in their remaining match next Sunday to lock up 3rd place, but 3rd vs. 4th matters little in this context. Top-4 was the goal for ETH and the lads at the beginning of the season, and they’ve locked it up with a match to spare. The club can look forward to the revenue generated from these European matches, along with being more easily able to attract top-level talent in the summer. Given how this season started for United with consecutive losses, to be where we are is nothing short of a magnificent achievement for this manager and group of players.

United’s final match of the season is not until June 3rd when they play in the FA Cup Final against Manchester City at Wembley. Due to the importance of the fixture, it will be interesting to see how ETH manages the last Prem game on Sunday. Fulham have naught to play for similar to United, so will he rest all of his usual starters? Will he keep them out there to continue momentum? Either way, the match against City will be extraordinarily difficult. United and Inter Milan are the only two clubs standing between them and the Treble.

I will do a match report for Fulham and the FA Cup Final, and I think I will do another post about the prospective sale of the club early on in the close season. This season is already much, much better than the last one though. Thank you, Mr. Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff!

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

A Chess Match Against Chelsea Ends in Stalemate

Manchester United traveled south to west London earlier today for a Premier League match with top-4 rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. This fixture has been a tense one for just under 20 years now, as it always seems like United are competing against the Blues for trophies and table positions. Today was no different. A win for either side would plant that club firmly in the top 4. Both managers – United’s Erik ten Hag and Chelsea’s Graham Potter – have been recently appointed and were looking to show what their teams can do against quality opposition. Both managers are highly skilled tacticians, so much attention was paid to the respective formations fielded by them at the start of the match. United were in their usual 4-2-3-1, while Chelsea came out in a 5-3-2/3-5-2.

The match got off to a fairly even start in the first ten minutes, but United began to assert themselves more as the half went on. While our attacks were breaking down against Chelsea’s back line, the possession and ball recovery was top notch. Chelsea struggled to hold possession and keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was required to make several saves, notably from Marcus Rashford. The best chance falling to winger Antony dos Santos who missed wide from just inside the Chelsea penalty area. He probably should have done better given that he had good space for a shot, and his reaction to this miss indicated that he knows he should have finished it.

Potter saw that his team was being overwhelmed in midfield. The disadvantage to playing with a back 5 usually means your midfield is a little light. The two men in the middle for Chelsea were being overrun by Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and Christian Eriksen for United. Potter made an unusual late-first half substitution to fix the issue, bringing on midfielder Mateo Kovacic and converting his back-5 to a more traditional back-4. Kovacic had an instant impact. Chelsea won the ball back more easily, and they maintained some semblance of possession for the first time in the match. ETH was seen on the sideline playing with his tactics board just before the half time whistle as well, trying to figure out his response to that change. The half ended at 0-0, but United were probably the more disappointed side having not scored despite their domination.

Much like the opening 10 minutes, the first 10 minutes of the second half was rather disjointed and there wasn’t much cohesive possession either way. Unfortunately for United though, Chelsea had started growing into the match and were improving significantly with each passing minute. While they struggled to force David De Gea into saves due to some heroic defending from center backs Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, they were winning corners and free kicks with aplomb. The sustained pressure was nerve-wracking. ETH sent on midfielder Fred for the ineffective Jadon Sancho, and more balance was restored to the match in terms possession and chances. The minutes kept ticking by though, and no goal was forthcoming. The formations of each team were the same, and everyone was man-marking their opposite number. They were cancelling each other out in every way possible. Sadly, Varane appeared to injure his hamstring late on had to be replaced after a herculean effort from the Frenchman on the day.

Chelsea took the lead however from the penalty spot on 87 minutes. Chelsea had won a corner and while the ball was being played in, it looked like United substitute Scott McTominay rugby-tackled Kovacic to the ground inside the box. Normally I am very quick to defend United players and try to see a way in which it’s not a penalty, but this one was hard to argue against. Yes Kovacic went down easily, but replays showed McTominay had both arms wrapped around Kovacic’s midsection before he went down. A referee is going to call that every time, even if the contact is minimal. McTominay has to know to position himself better in that situation. Italian midfielder Jorginho stepped up to the spot and sent De Gea the wrong way for 1-0 to the Blues. It felt so harsh on United, having been the better side in the first half and more than holding their own in the second.

But one thing I will say about this team is that they do not quit. Last year, this team would have stopped trying. They would have mentally quit at after going behind. But whatever ETH tells them week-to-week about not quitting, it’s certainly sunk in. The fact that there was six minutes of stoppage time also seemed to galvanize the lads a bit. It was the 94th minute and United were passing the ball around the perimeter of the Chelsea penalty area, looking for an equalizer. The ball was passed to left back Luke Shaw, who was in space in the left channel about 40 yards from the goal. He played a cross over the top into the box, where both Casemiro and McTominay leapt for it. Casemiro got good contact, and sent the ball back across Kepa and just over the line. Kepa tried to clear it quickly to make it seem like the ball never crossed the line, but the goal-line technology system indicated to the referee that the ball had crossed. And what a celebration from the lads! Casemiro roared with joy while being mobbed by teammates, and Martinez actually hurled himself into the arms of away supporters while screaming. Absolute scenes! You could see how much it meant to all of them.

Chelsea were sorry to have conceded so late, but for United to not get anything out this match would have felt like an injustice. It’s true that we should have done better in the first half given the dominance, but that late equalizer is a real spoonful of sugar. It’s only a draw on the score sheet, but psychologically this is going to feel like a win. Any time you go to Stamford Bridge and get something from it, it’s a good day. The wasted chances from United were further proof that a striker is needed in January.

The main takeaways from today are that both Chelsea and United have some tactically brilliant managers. All the changes made by the both of them indicates an ability to respond and adapt when Plan A doesn’t work. ETH had the edge in the first half, and Potter had the edge in the second. Another takeaway is that Martinez might be the signing of the summer. He is an absolute madman, and United have needed someone like him at the back for ages. Being a center-back was traditionally reserved for the biggest and toughest men on the pitch, and while Martinez is lacking in physical size he more than makes up for it with his aggression and shithousery. Absolutely gutted for Varane too. Hopefully it’s not a serious injury for him with the World Cup coming up, but his reaction to the injury indicated that it’s probably not good. Credit to Victor Lindelof for performing well off the bench in a cameo appearance.

United remain in 5th just a point behind Chelsea in 4th, but if Newcastle win against Tottenham tomorrow they will leapfrog both teams into 4th. United have taken 5 points from a possible 9 in these past three matches, and the schedule now eases up a little bit. There are only four United matches in total between now and the start of the World Cup; two in the Prem and two in the Europa League. Domestic leagues across the world will go on a pause after November 13, and resume just after Christmas. Up next for United is a Europa League group match with Sheriff Tiraspol at Old Trafford on Oct. 27th.

United Get the Season Off to a Flying Start With Victory Over Chelsea

Well I think it’s safe to say that no one was expecting a 4-0 victory for either side, let alone one with United winning. Going into the match I think most reasonable minds expected a tense and low-scoring affair.

And to be fair, that’s what it was for the first 60 minutes or so. Chelsea came out in the first 15 minutes and dominated possession, and it was only thanks to the post that striker Tammy Abraham was denied an opener. Midfielder Ross Barkley looked to be in particularly dangerous form, along with Abraham and winger Pedro. United had to do a lot of defending in that opening period, but despite being on the back foot I was very impressed with new signings Harry Maguire (aka Slab) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (AWB). Both of them were tremendous throughout the match. More on them below.

Marcus Rashford opened the scoring from the penalty spot against the run of play in the 18th minute. Chelsea’s French center back Kurt Zouma clumsily fouled Rashford in the box, and a penalty was given. I’m fairly sure United midfielder Andreas Pereira suffered a foul earlier in the build-up as well, but referee Anthony Taylor correctly played the advantage and Rashford dribbled the ball into the box. He was fouled again by Zouma and the ref gave the penalty. Taylor himself had a very good day by all standards and I am happy the referee and VAR were largely a non-factor in this match.

United had to endure a bit more pressure after that, as Chelsea searched for an equalizer. It almost became a game of which team can “out-press” the other. Both teams used their pacy forwards and wingers to press the back lines throughout the first half in an effort to win the ball high up on the pitch, which resulted in some very entertaining (and also nerve-wracking) end to end football in the first 45 minutes. The defense and keeper David De Gea did just enough to keep Chelsea out though, and United got to half time with a slim 1-0 lead despite Brazilian left back Emerson hitting the post again for Chelsea. It was good to be ahead for sure, but the Red Devils were certainly not out of the woods.

More of the same happened in the opening 15 minutes of the 2nd half. Chelsea were on the ball quite a bit, and United had to dig in and defend some more. Emerson once again hit a powerful shot that was pawed away by keeper De Gea. Once the 60th minute hit though, it was all United. Maguire won the ball back outside our own box and played the ball to Rashford out wide on the left. Rashford used his electrifying pace to bring the ball forward, and then played a ball out wide right to Jesse Lingard. By that time, Anthony Martial had made his way into the box and joined Rashford in the penalty area. After a nifty exchange between Lingard and Pereira in the right channel, the latter hit a cross into the box that was bundled over the line by Martial for United’s second. Chelsea’s Spanish right back Cesar Azpilicueta switched off for a second and Martial gained a favorable position on him before he poked it home with his first touch. Martial actually missed it with his right foot but the ball hit his opposite knee anyway and rolled over the line. It doesn’t matter how they go in, as long as they do! A great counter-attack by United. Sir Alex Ferguson was watching from the stands today and you know he would have been very happy with a goal like that.

I think Chelsea’s mentality was very fragile after that. They looked like the better team for large portions of the match, yet still found themselves down 2-0. That’s disheartening for any team. I think that was part of the reason for how quick United got their third.

The match had barely restarted when United won the ball in midfield, and our excellent Frenchman Paul Pogba hit a sublime pass over the top into Rashford, who had made a very intelligent run into a gap between Zouma and Azpilicueta. Pogba had actually been somewhat quiet in this match up until that moment. He looked to be about a half-step behind everyone else in the first half, to be honest. But the talent and quality of Pogba is such that he can play like crap for most of the game but still conjure up a moment of magic out of nowhere. Rashford’s first touch was excellent as he knocked the ball ahead of him, and once the young Englishman is away on the ball there are very few people in the world who can catch him. He took his time, composed himself, and slotted home to his right past keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. It was an absolutely sublime goal that came completely out of nowhere. Even the match commentators were still talking about the 2nd goal when Rashford was through for the 3rd! After a quick VAR review for offside, the goal was awarded and the United players knew they were free and clear. It was great to see everyone celebrating the goal together as a team. Two goals within 90 seconds of each other are incredibly difficult for any team to come back from.

Chelsea’s misery wasn’t over either. They poured men forward in search of a goal, and in the 80th minute they found themselves with a free kick in an attacking area. The ball played in was crap though and it fell to Scott McTominay in the United box. McTominay saw Pogba peeling in for a pass in front of him, and after receiving the ball Pogba played a lovely 1-2 with Martial in the left channel. After the return pass from Martial, Pogba was free to run forward with two Chelsea defenders attempting to corral him. Pogba played a pass out to the right at the edge of the box to substitute winger (and another new signing) Daniel James. James at first seemed to be unsure if he should shoot or cross it back, but after a mishit he composed himself and unleashed a shot. The ball took a deflection off  the leg of Emerson and wrong-footed Kepa for United’s fourth. It was a goal on his Premier League debut for James, which served as a nice cherry on top of United’s day. Again, it was very good to see the whole team celebrating as one. McTominay in particular was very vocal in leading the celebrations, and everyone was incredibly happy for the 21 year-old. To score in front of the Stretford End for United on your debut is the stuff dreams are made of!

Chelsea didn’t really do much more after that, and the match ended without many further incidents of interest. While Rashford (2 goals), Pogba (2 assists), Martial (goal), and James (goal) all had very good days, I think Man of the Match for me either goes to Maguire or AWB. Along with Victor Lindelof and De Gea, they were fantastic in United’s defense and were very deserving of the clean sheet today. Not conceding in the opening period was very important, as it gave the attackers more time to get involved in the game. Psychologically, if you know you have some very good defenders in your team, you are more inclined to take risks going forward. If it works you can get a goal, and if it doesn’t you know that your defense will help you to recover the ball. Like in many other sports, defense wins championships. AWB won basically every tackle he attempted, while Slab Head was a commanding, physical presence in the box and never looked unsure of himself.

It was not a perfect game for United, but it was about as good as anyone could have expected from the opening match. We do look a little light in midfield, especially when Pogba isn’t playing well, but that didn’t hurt us too much today. It’s very clear that our defense has markedly improved, and our forwards are hungry for goals. When this team puts in the work required, we will be difficult to beat.

I am excited to see where we go from here. I don’t think we will be able to effectively run the high-press for the entirety of this long season, so Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have to switch up his tactics slightly for other matches. Of course, this is only one match and it would be foolish to make predictions this early, but this is a fantastic foundation to build on going forward. A 4-0 victory over one of the traditional “top 6” sides is a huge confidence booster for this team. OGS’s summer plan of buying young and hungry players with something to prove seems to have been a wise ploy so far.

On a brief aside, for the American readers of my blog, Christian Pulisic made his Premier League debut for Chelsea today as a substitute in the 2nd half. He was shepherded by AWB for most of his time on the pitch, and didn’t really have a chance to impact the match because of that. He did look to be quick and made a few good runs into the box, but Chelsea’s mentality was gone for most of the time he was on and the ball wasn’t really played to him. I think he needs more playing time before we can decide if he can hack it in the Prem or not.

United travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers for their next Premier League match on Monday. Wolves were a problem team for United last season, so they will be looking to exact a bit of revenge on them hopefully. If we play like this again though, I don’t think Wolves will have the ability to consistently stop us.

Glory Glory Man United!

That Was Anti-Climactic

Liverpool came to Old Trafford today in a very highly-anticipated match. You can see my previous post for the all of the reasons why this match was so significant today. A victory for either side would provide a great deal of significance for both teams. United could further their strengthen their grip on the top 4, or conversely Liverpool could take a big step towards winning their first title since 1990.

However, neither of those things happened. Football always teaches you to expect the unexpected, and that is precisely what happened in this match. It ended 0-0, with United finishing the day in 5th place due to Arsenal’s victory over Southampton. Liverpool do have an outright lead for the title now, but it’s only 1 point over Manchester City. There are still 11 matches left in the Premier League season, so virtually nothing was decided today. I’m left with an overwhelming feeling of “meh”.

To quote Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in his post-match interview: “Fucking hell, what a shit game.”

The Positives 

The back 4/overall defensive play. This was easily the biggest positive from today’s match. Our defense played superbly well for all 90+ minutes. Liverpool did not register a shot on target for the entirety of the second half, despite having 64% possession throughout the match. Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof were massive in particular, with the former shutting down Mohamed Salah for the duration of the match. Salah still does not have a goal or assist for Liverpool against United. Despite being the leading goalscorer this season and last season, he was completely anonymous today. Liverpool’s wingers overall were largely ineffective in the final third as well. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer clearly watched tape of Bayern Munich from earlier in the week, as United were very compact throughout match and difficult to bring down on the wings. Even our attacking players like Juan Mata and Paul Pogba were back defending with all their might.

Resilience. Our tactical game plan was shot all to hell in the first half by injuries to Ander Herrera, Mata, and Jessie Lingard.  United were forced to use all three substitutions in the first half, which would mangle the game plan for any manager. No manager wants to be forced to use his substitutes; he’d rather use them for tactical changes when he feels it’s appropriate. But no one panicked. No one lost their head and made a stupid mistake. OGS and the coaching staff did a wonderful job of shepherding the players through the match and making key adjustments on the fly. Marcus Rashford was injured for a good portion of the 2nd half as well, but couldn’t come off because United would have been forced to go down to 10 men. It was clear he was playing through pain and he must be commended for doing so. Great leadership and spirit for a 21 year-old.

Old Trafford atmosphere. Due to the size of the stadium, Old Trafford is sometimes derided as having a quiet or subdued environment that other teams don’t find particularly intimidating. That was not the case today. The stadium was rocking from before kickoff to the final whistle. It was clear this match was important to the locals and everyone who showed up, as it was very loud in there the whole time. Notably, the only section of the stadium that wasn’t very loud was the Liverpool fans’ away section. Kind of funny to me!

Biggest positive: OGS has taken 26 points from his first 10 Premier League games in charge. That is the most of any manager in the history of the league.

The Negatives

Missed opportunities. Despite the injuries and the quality of the opposition, Liverpool were there for the taking. I honestly believe that if we had stayed at full strength for the entirety of the match, the result would have been a United victory. We were set up perfectly defensively, and while we didn’t create many chances there were at least 2 towards the end I felt could have easily gone in. One did go in, but it was ruled out for offside and then Chris Smalling failed to get on the end of a very good Romelu Lukaku cross that would have put us up 1-0.

If you had told me it would be 0-0 before the match, I likely would have taken it. However, given how poor Liverpool were in attack today, it almost feels like we left 3 points on the table. Again, if we were full strength, we probably would have smashed them.

That being said, the injuries were a big issue today and they were an issue in the Paris St. Germain match. I know OGS has been more keen on involving United’s sport science division in how he plans his training sessions, but I wonder what more can be done to prevent this kind of thing from happening? Of course no club can avoid injuries all together. The season is too long and the game is far too physical. Injuries are going to happen, but it seems more than just being unlucky when you have to use all three substitutions in the first half in the biggest match of the season. These injuries are also showing that United have serious problems with depth. We need to unload 1-2 players in the summer and bring in a true right winger, a right back, and some solid rotation players we can count on to carry the load if/when someone gets injured. Ed Woodward and United’s eventual Director of Football need to treat this as the number one issue that needs addressing during the close season.

Next match is away to Crystal Palace in midweek. Not sure who is going to play given all the injuries, but Palace are not a very good side and I am sure OGS will come up with some kind of solution.

Brief Aside

Chelsea were in freefall before today, but now the club is in absolute chaos. They actually did fairly well today against Man City in the Carabao Cup (formerly known as the League Cup) final, but it’s clear that none of the players fully respect the manager. In that match today I saw something I have never seen before: a player refusing to come off when the manager makes a substitution. Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was about to be subbed off by manager Maurizio Sarri, but he simply didn’t come off the pitch when told to do so. I’ve never witnessed that before as long as I have been watching this sport. Shows a complete lack of respect for the manager, and the fact that no other Chelsea player shoved him off the pitch also indicates that none of the other players really respect Sarri either.

Kepa then made a spectacular error during the penalty shootout that eventually led to Man City lifting the trophy. Bad all around.